West Ham are thriving as new signings continue to come good for David Moyes, with James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez starring in dominant win over Brighton

The chant broke out in the far corner of the away end, when they knew the game was won. It only happened once — and certainly did not meet with universal approval — but the timing and subject were significant.

‘Are you watching Declan Rice?’ West Ham’s fans bellowed, as they realised they would end the day top of the Premier League. ‘Are you watching Declan Rice?’

Things move quickly in football. It had only been 90 days since Rice’s last game for West Ham had ended with him hoisting aloft the club’s first piece of silverware for 43 years, but now he was the butt of a crowing chant, undoubtedly fuelled by Arsenal’s late slip against Fulham.

Many wondered how life would look for West Ham after selling Rice, such a totem, for £105million. Patience, too, had been stretched among those same supporters when the new season approached and the bounty they had received remained unspent.

But then you looked at them at the Amex Stadium, as they stood tall and played with ferocious desire to supplement a superb win against Chelsea with an equally eye-catching result against such a progressive Brighton team.

This success, be certain, was achieved thanks to Rice’s replacements. In the engine room, scrapping, tackling and passing, the axis of James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez laid the foundations for everything that would become possible during a blistering second period when they landed so many meaty blows.

Ward-Prowse — a man whose character, desire and professionalism will make him a firm favourite with manager David Moyes — showed why, after his double-assist debut against Chelsea, the £30m investment in him will be money well spent.

He set the ball rolling by opening the scoring in the 19th minute, but the parts of his game that took