London calling for West Ham once more but not yet time to yearn for the sanctuary of the provinces. Where the London Stadium is an unhappy home, they remain unbeaten on their early-season tour of their home town. After victory at Crystal Palace and drawing at Fulham came this attritional affair on the capital’s western fringe.

Such is the London weighting of this season’s Premier League schedule that the Hammers do not play outside the city limits until 2 November. A midweek Carabao Cup defeat at Liverpool so exasperating that Julen Lopetegui injured himself on the sidelines, allied with his team’s dreadful home form had led to speculation on his future. Would Anfield be his sole match beyond the M25?