graceful lan-ding
West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini looking at two-match ban for dive in win over Stoke
The Argentina international was awarded a penalty after going down in the box which lead to first of three West Ham goals
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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.
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The penalty gave the Hammers an early lead and was the first of their three unanswered goals.
A furious Mark Hughes said Lanzini had "clearly dived".
Hughes raged: "He's clearly dived. He's a clever player. He wasn't clipped, he’s just clearly dived.
"It's disappointing the referee hasn't seen that and he should have given us a free-kick prior to him taking the ball into the box. He got the situation doubly wrong from our point of view.
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"They need to get the match-defining decisions correct and he certainly didn’t get that correct. That made it more difficult for us with the way West Ham play with lots of men behind the ball.
"Whether or not Lanzini is punished, it doesn’t help us. The situation is gone. Unless they have a time in the future when they give you a goal if somebody does that – I can’t see that happening myself!
"It’s a situation they’re trying to stamp out, and the powers that be are trying to address it and curtail it. But the damaged party – ourselves on this occasion - don’t get the benefit of it."
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.
The midfielder convincingly launched himself over the defenders leg before rolling onto the pitch.
Contact was eventually made, but only after Lanzini was already heading towards the ground.
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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."
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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