West Ham United extended their good run of form to one defeat in 10 outings courtesy of a 1-1 draw against Sunderland at the Stadium go Light this afternoon.
The home side were ahead inside 22 minutes when Jordi Gomez converted from the spot following a contentious penalty awarded by referee Phil Dowd.
Just seven minutes later, the Hammers were level as Stewart Downing struck beyond the reach of Costel Pantilimon from range to set up an entertaining second half.
Despite both sides pushing for a winner, neither could find a way through to ensure that the game one apiece.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look back at who impressed during the 90 minutes of action on Wearside.
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SUNDERLAND
Goal
Costel Pantilimon: Arguably man of the match due to the saves that he had to make. While none of them were world class, the former Manchester City stopper still had to be on guard to thwart the opposition on a number of occasions. (8/10)
Defence
Santiago Vergini: Managed to get into decent positions high up the field, although he lacked any sort of end product to match his forays forward. (6/10)
John O'Shea: Solid performance from the centre-back, who had both Carroll and Sakho to deal with. Did not manage to earn another clean sheet for his side, but the performance was certainly there. (7/10)
Wes Brown: Likewise, Brown can be happy enough with his showing, having remained solid for the majority of the match. Had plenty of crosses to deal with against a side that loves scoring headed goals. (7/10)
Anthony Reveillere: Much like his teammate on the opposite flank, this was a decent enough performance from the Frenchman, with just a final product lacking. Failed to fully clear early on, which allowed Jenkinson to fire away a shot. (6/10)
Midfield
Lee Cattermole: Returned to the side having sat out last weekend's goalless draw at Liverpool, and he produced a good display at the Stadium of Light to help break up attacks. (7/10)
Jordi Gomez: An eventful first half, converting a penalty before seeing the ball deflect off his foot and into the back of the net at the other end. That's now three goals in 16 appearances for the Black Cats. (7/10)
Sebastian Larsson: Sunderland's best outfield player on the day. Was always looking to create openings for his side from the middle of the park. (8/10)
Adam Johnson: Won his side a penalty in what was his 100th appearance for the club. It was a contentious call, with the midfielder going down rather easily. That aside, he did not do a great deal before being withdrawn. (6/10)
Attack
Connor Wickham: Could not end the week in which he signed a new deal at the club with a goal. Not his greatest showing, either, making the wrong decision a few times, such as shooting horribly wide with the last opportunity of the game. (6/10)
Jozy Altidore: Manager Gus Poyet showed faith in the forward by starting him once more, but this was another disappointing display. First-half miss from six yards out pretty much summed it up for him. (5/10)
Substitutes
Steven Fletcher: Certainly offers Sunderland something a little different, and he will perhaps feel aggrieved not to have been handed a starting spot. Forced Adrian into making a stop down low 15 minutes from time. (7/10)
Ricky Alvarez: Introduced on the 70-minute mark, and, although he was unable to make the desired impact in attack, his footwork always makes him stand out as a player who can make something happen. (7/10)
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WEST HAM UNITED
Goal
Adrian: Had a few saves to make across the 90 minutes, including one superb stop to keep out Wickham's drive in the closing stages. (7/10)
Defence
Carl Jenkinson: Did well to get in behind Sunderland's backline on a number of occasions, and even tested Pantilimon with a couple of shots. (8/10)
James Tomkins: Unlucky to concede the first-half penalty. Stayed focused for the remainder of the game to help his side claim another point. (7/10)
Winston Reid: He has been valued at £20m by his manager, and this performance highlights just why. Stood up to the test by dealing with pretty much everything that came his way. (7/10)
Aaron Cresswell: Linked up well with his more advanced teammates on numerous occasions, while also bombing forward himself. A key player in this West Ham system, Cresswell produced another impressive display. (8/10)
Midfield
Alex Song: Continues to shine in claret and blue, and while he could not quite make the difference from his deep-lying position, he can still be pleased with his contribution. (8/10)
Cheikhou Kouyate: Did not have the same influence as Song in midfield and failed to truly get a grip on proceedings. (6/10)
Kevin Nolan: Not his best afternoon in terms of attacking contribution. Could not add to his six previous goals against the Black Cats before being hauled off. (6/10)
Stewart Downing: His incredible resurgence this season continues, with his strike this afternoon making it five goals and assists in his last six games combined. Ran the show at times. (8/10)
Attack
Diafra Sakho: Partnered with Carroll up top and managed to get into a few promising positions, yet he was unable to add to his seven-goal tally in the Premier League. (7/10)
Andy Carroll: No doubt buoyed by his two-goal showing against Swansea City last weekend, the England international was involved in the thick of the action every time that the ball came into the box. Unable to find a way through, however, wasting a glorious chance when he lofted the ball over Pantilimon. (7/10)
Substitutes
Enner Valencia: Dropped to the bench this afternoon in United's only change to the starting lineup. Unable to make an impact during his eight minutes or so on the field. (6/10)
Daniel Lewis
