How Nuno Espirito Santo is hauling West Ham back to life, writes MATT BARLOW, as freedom for stars and new signings revives their survival hopes

With little bubbles in the sky, Neil Diamond celebration tunes blaring out of the speakers and the dancing feet of Crysencio Summerville up and down the wing, West Ham have lift off.

Somewhat belatedly, it's true. And still with much to do but they are at least alive, kicking and Nuno Espirito Santo is hauling in his former club Nottingham Forest , who are at Brentford on Sunday.

As for the Hammers , this is three wins in a row, starting in the FA Cup against QPR with a trip across the capital to Chelsea next.

Not only have new signings Taty Castellanos and Pablo Felipe have given West Ham a fresh impetus and something different up front but they have brought freedom for Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville, who were deployed like old-fashioned wingers in a 4-4-2 formation.

Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville are freed up as old-fashioned wingers for West Ham

Summerville is revelling in a purple patch of form. The opener here was speed of thought to step ahead of Nordi Mukiele, a wonderful spring and well-timed header to convert a cross by Bowen, was his third in three games.

Confidence soaring, he was quick to pick up the ball and run at Sunderland, in this sort of mood there is hope that after injuries disrupted his first season in east London he might find the rhythms that made him such a sizzling force in the Championship with Leeds.

Bowen can play effectively through the middle but always looks happiest wide on the right and scored his seventh of the season from a penalty won by Oliver Scarles, up from left back and jinking into the penalty box to draw a foul from Trai Hume.

There were plenty of empty of seats inside the London Stadium but the home fans swung behind the team as they punished Sunderland and capped a strong first half and display of unity with the goal of the game by Mateus Fernandes.

Again, Summerville stretched the visitors with his pace, dancing feet and a willingness to run in behind the back line. The initial foray was repelled but fell to Fernandes who lashed it past Robin Roefs from 30 yards.

Fernandes almost scored a better goal in stoppage time at the end of the game. This time his screamer crashed into the bar, down onto the line and spun out. West Ham forced it over the line via a header by Callum Wilson and a glance off Tomas Soucek's back but the goal was ruled out for a foul by Konstantinos Mavropanos.

Mateus Fernandes scored the goal of the game and almost went one better, too

Sunderland's 3-0 win against West Ham on the opening day of the season set the tone what was to follow for both clubs in the first half of the campaign. The Wearsiders caught a flying start, but momentum has been fading. Certainly not helped by a midwinter exodus to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and always stronger at home.

But here they were without keystone Granit Xhaka for the first time since his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen. Xhaka watched from the bench, having been unable to shake off the ankle injury picked up against Crystal Palace. Without him, Sunderland lost their leader and much of their defensive protection.

Regis Le Bris watched his team make quite a positive start, with early pressure. Noah Sadiki forced a save and Dan Ballard headed wide when trailing 1-0, but without Xhaka's resistance in midfield they were sliced open far too easily in the first half.

One because two with a disputed penalty decision and when Fernandes lashed the third in just before half time those who had set alarm clocks to wake them for a five-hour journey and a lunchtime kick-off were already feeling like it was going to be one of those days.

Three changes by Le Bris at half time combined perhaps with a little West Ham complacency and Sunderland improved. Brian Brobbey pulled one back with a flying header from a cross by Nordi Mukiele.

Nuno responded with changes, including El Hadji Malick Diouf on his return from winning AFCON with Senegal and shut down the danger apart from a mishit Luke O'Nien cross which almost fooled Alphonse Areola and required an excellent recovery save in 85th min.