MANUEL LANZINI could face a two-match retrospective suspension for diving.
The Argentine playmaker won a penalty after an acrobatic tumble to the turf following a challenge by Potters defender Erik Pieters.
The penalty gave the Hammers an early lead and was the first of their three unanswered goals.
At first sight it looked as if Pieters tripped Lanzini in the box.
But on closer inspection there appeared to be no contact with daylight between Lanzini and the left leg of Pieters before his descend.
But the midfielder convincingly launched himself over the defenders leg before rolling onto the pitch.
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Contact was eventually made, but only after Lanzini was already heading towards the ground.
Both Pieters and Potters keeper Jack Butland ran towards referee Graham Scott in protest.
But Linzini had already conned him as he pointed to the spot.
Mark Noble then found the bottom right corner to give the Hammers a 1-0 advantage.
Fans – both Stoke and West Ham alike – on social media called out Lanzini for the dive.
One Hammers fan said: “Glad we’re also not going to win just by Lanzini’s dive. Would’ve found no joy in the win.”
Totally agree… plus Lanzini gets a 6.0 from me for the acrobatics!
— Greg
(@Greggy73) December 16, 2017
While Stoke fans were in no doubt that the 24-year-old should receive the suspension.
After the match the Irons boss David Moyes admitted that while the penalty was a soft decision, his player went down with fatigue rather than in attempt to deceive.
Moyes told Match of the Day: “The defender gave the referee a decision to make. Manuel Lanzini ran about 70 yards so I think he went over with fatigue rather than a dive.
“I’d be disappointed to give away a penalty like that but sometimes that’s the way it goes.”
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