Paolo Di Canio referred to Manchester United as "the best team in Europe" and West Ham's manager Glenn Roeder expressed similar sentiments. Yet dazzling as Alex Ferguson's team were in attack, their performance hardly suggested such compliments will be repeated at the venue which matters.
Only by winning the Champions League can United prove they are Europe's finest. Having conceded five goals in their past two away games, at Derby and West Ham, their defensive capability is questionable.
Leaking three goals to mid-table opponents can be overcome without much difficulty, particularly with David Beckham in outstanding form and Paul Scholes demonstrating to Ferguson why he deserves a permanent starting spot. Let in the same number against Deportivo La Coruna or Real and there is no way back.
Had Ferguson shared his thoughts, he might have noted he favours a more solid 4-5-1 on European trips. He might also have pointed out that two West Ham goals came down United's left flank, where his team were unusually vulnerable because Scholes only nominally played there, drifting into the centre to wreak havoc. Yet the brittleness which has threatened to undermine United looked to have resurfaced. Three times they were undone by crosses. Mikael Silvestre was guilty on Steve Lomas' headed opener and Ronny Johnsen was lacklustre in allowing Frederic Kanoute to centre for West Ham's third by Jermain Defoe. The space Kanoute and Defoe had for their goals was unimpressive.
Roy Keane said afterwards there is no feeling among the players that they have to concentrate more on defence - "Our natural instincts are to go forward" - and that made for this pulsating spectacle.
Twice United had to equalise in the first half-hour, during which time West Ham had further openings but once Di Canio had retreated and United hit their stride, the Hammers should have been buried before Defoe gave them late hope.
Beckham and Scholes did more than anyone to ensure United did not slip up. The England captain not only scored twice, first with an exquisite lob, but also played a part in the other three.
He rarely wasted a pass, cross or free-kick and was rightly described by Ferguson as "magnificent". Scholes performed as if desperate to prove a point after being omitted against Bayern. He scored, won a penalty, set up Beckham's lob and made countless threatening runs.
Beckham followed his leveller by setting up Nicky Butt to equalise Kanoute's goal from a Sebastien Schemmel cross. Scholes's strike, supplied by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Solskjaer's finish looked to have killed the game before Defoe entered. Soon after, though, Scholes was fouled by Tomas Repka and Beckham had the final say from the spot.
WEST HAM: James, Schemmel, Repka, Dailly, Winterburn (Defoe 74), Labant, Lomas, Carrick, Cole, Di Canio, Kanoute. Subs not used: Hislop, Moncur, Pearce, Garcia. Booked: Schemmel, Repka. Goals: Lomas 8, Kanoute 20, Defoe 78.
MANCHESTER UTD: Barthez, Gary Neville, Blanc, Johnsen, Silvestre, Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Butt, van Nistelrooy (Fortune 87), Solskjaer (Forlan 84). Subs not used: Carroll, Irwin, Phil Neville. Booked: Gary Neville, Solskjaer. Goals: Beckham 17, Butt 22, Scholes 55, Solskjaer 64, Beckham 89 pen.
Referee: M Halsey (Welwyn Garden City).
