Goals from Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio saw West Ham beat Derby 2-0 at Pride Park in Fourth Round of 2022-23 FA Cup.
Bowen put West Ham ahead with a 10th minute close-range strike after he pounced upon Tomas Soucek’s knockdown header.
Antonio then wrapped up victory in the 50th minute as he nodded in from Craig Forysth’s deflection of Bowen’s low cross.
West Ham will now visit Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Fifth Round, whilst Derby’s FA Cup adventures for this season are over.
Despite entering this tie as underdogs, Derby enjoyed a fast start as Tom Barkhuizen sprinted up the left flank barely 30 seconds into the game, but none of his teammates were able to meet his cutback pass and West Ham safely cleared up the ball.
Max Bird two minutes later conceded possession to Michail Antonio who broke forward for the visitors, yet he fired wide in the first attempt of the game.
Bowen – who scored a brace against Everton in West Ham’s last game – saw a ninth minute attempt denied, yet he fired the Hammers ahead with a 10th minute strike from Soucek’s knockdown header of Antonio’s chipped pass towards the left post.
Both teams however lacked pace in their end product creativity as the first half wore on and Derby’s best chance came in the 33rd minute, as Barkhuizen scarpered up the left and whipped in a curled cross but James Collins volleyed his shot wide of the left corner.
West Ham eventually clung onto their lead into half-time as Derby continued to struggle to create clear-cut chances.
Derby though responded with higher intensity at the start of the second half as Jason Knight rifled a low shot wide of the bottom-right corner in the 47th minute.
That renewed positivity however proved short-lived as three minutes later, Craig Forsyth fumbled possession at the back which allowed Bowen to pounce and play a low cross across – albeit via Foryth’s deflection which allowed Antonio to nod in from close-range to double West Ham’s lead.
Antonio almost wrapped up victory in the 56th minute but could head Ben Johnson’s cross downwards for Joe Wildsmith to comfortably save.
Derby meanwhile continued to try and snatch a consolatory goal which almost came in the 65th minute as substitute, Lewis Dobbin headed a cross upon goal, only for one of his teammates to get in the way and nod the ball wide.
Dobbin endured further frustration as he saw a 86th minute shot saved by Alphonse Areola as West Ham resisted Derby’s desperate attempts to fight back, which ultimately proved successful to set up a Fifth Round trip to Man Utd.
What’s Next?
Derby resume their bid to return to the Championship with a home clash against Morecambe in League One on Saturday 4 February, in a 3pm GMT kick-off at Pride Park.
West Ham return their focus to their fight for Premier League survival as they visit Newcastle United on Saturday 4 February in a 5:30pm GMT kick-off, live on Sky Sports.
Teams
Derby County: Joe Wildsmith, Korey Smith, Curtis Davies (Dobbin 63′), Craig Forsyth, Haydon Roberts, Conor Hourihane (Rooney 71′), Max Bird (Thompson 61′), Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (Springett 62′), Jason Knight, Tom Barkhuizen (Cashin 62′), James Collins,
Substitutes: Scott Loach, Jake Rooney, Richard Stearman, Eiran Cashin, Darren Robinson, Liam Thompson, Tony Springett, Lewis Dobbin, Dajaune Brown
West Ham: Alphonse Areola, Ben Johnson, Thilo Kehrer, Angelo Ogbonna, Nayef Aguerd, Emerson Palmieri (Cresswell 78′), Tomas Soucek, Flynn Downes, Pablo Fornals (Lanzini 87′), Michail Antonio (Benrahma 64′), Jarrod Bowen (Mubama 79′)
Substitutes: Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Cresswell, Levi Laing, Declan Rice, Manuel Lanzini, Lucas Paqueta, Said Benrahma, Divin Mubama
Referee: Thomas Bramall