West Ham showcased their survival skills as they walloped Wolves 4-0 and sent Tottenham tumbling into the relegation zone.
The result lifted the Hammers above Spurs in the Premier League table ahead of Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge against Sunderland on Sunday. It's the first time Spurs have been in the bottom three - after the opening three games of the season - since January 2009.
This was another impressive performance in both boxes by West Ham, who came up big when it mattered most.
Konstantinos Mavropanos headed them into a first-half lead before Taty Castellanos scored twice inside two minutes to seal the deal. With Wolves on the ropes, West Ham continued to attack and it was Mavropanos that grabbed his second of the game.
Wolves remain winless away from home across their last 18 Premier League games and are 13 points from safety with just 18 points left available. Relegation for them could now be confirmed as early as next week away to Leeds.
The West Ham fans chanted "going down with the Tottenham" towards the travelling Wolves fans on a perfect night for the hosts.
Nuno Espirito Santo's team shrugged off early nervousness to blow away the league's bottom side and push their rivals from north London closer towards the unthinkable.
The Hammers had looked down after losing at home to Nottingham Forest in January. Defeat to their relegation rivals left them winless in 10 and seven points adrift of safety, but five victories in the 11 games since, together with Spurs' form, have put a radically different complexion on the picture at the bottom.
Your Site' Jamie Redknapp:
"In a relegation fight, you need to play to your maximum - and know your strengths and weaknesses. The strengths are up front. Soucek and Fernandes did their jobs, everything you need to do to stay up.
"The result will send shockwaves in the other clubs. West Ham had to get those three points tonight and they did.
"All the managers in the bottom three are looking at that and going: that's the last thing we wanted. They're under pressure now."
West Ham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo to Your Site:
"We are happy, extremely happy all of us. An evening like this is special, the stadium was amazing, bouncing. First half was tough, we couldn't find spaces. But after the break, we improved.
"The first goal changes everything, the dynamic of the half-time talk. The players kept their calm and understood, they did amazing in the second half.
"Much, much improved - not just on the ball but off the ball. We stopped Wolves breaking in the middle. It was positive.
"We spoke after the [other Wolves] game. We said we cannot give up. We won't give up the fight."
Your Site' Lewis Jones:
When a Nuno Espirito Santo team gets rolling in his style of play, they become a force of nature that is hard to stop in the Premier League. His Nottingham Forest side showed that last season. And, remarkably, West Ham are now heading the same way under his watch.
His teams are built to be brilliant and ruthless in both boxes. That sounds easy to implement but it's a coaching method that takes hours of drilling on the training field. It's why it takes time for teams to see the full rewards of his work.
January was a big month in hindsight for the Hammers with Axel Disasi, Castellanos and Pablo being recruited. Three players who fit the style and system that Nuno brings. Castellanos, especially, has worked wonders playing as the focal point. His all-round game has flourished in recent weeks but without the goal return. That changed here in an exceptional performance from a player who looks so motivated to make his mark in the Premier League.
Wolves boss Rob Edwards to Your Site:
"I'm bitterly disappointed. The performance in the first half was good, we started really well. Going 1-0 down, it can happen. But then two quickfire goals latched onto our mistakes. It's poor from us, and the game was done. What started off looking like a positive night for us ended up being difficult.
"It doesn't matter who makes the mistakes, we make them as a team. A couple of our best players were robbed of the ball. It can happen, there's still a lot to do. It's not an individual mistake. They took advantage of them.
"For us, it's the same message. We have to finish strong, respect every single game. We're all under the microscope and have to make sure we perform. We have to respond now."
