Valentin Castellanos scored twice as West Ham came from behind to beat Portsmouth 3-1 in the Carabao Cup first round, in front of the largest-ever crowd for the stage. The win sends the Hammers into the second round, two months after their relegation from the Premier League.
Castellanos double sparks comeback
Portsmouth took the lead in the 33rd minute when Adrian Segecic controlled Max Kilman's clearance and fired a left-footed shot that deflected off a West Ham defender into the bottom corner. West Ham levelled just before the break when Castellanos directed Mohamadou Kante's cut-back into the far corner.
Two minutes later, captain Jarrod Bowen put the hosts ahead, latching onto a mis-controlled pass from Pablo and sending Nicolas Schmid the wrong way with a deflected effort from range.
Sullivan in attendance amid investigation
The match also saw co-owner David Sullivan take his seat in the stands, despite being advised not to attend by London Stadium operators. The advice comes amid an ongoing investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, which Sullivan emphatically denies.
Other Carabao Cup results
Elsewhere on Saturday, Millwall progressed past QPR on penalties, with goalkeeper Lukas Jensen saving all four spot-kicks after a 1-1 draw. Charlton beat Cheltenham 3-1, while AFC Wimbledon edged Newport 5-4 on penalties after a 97th-minute equaliser.
Bromley lost 5-4 on penalties to Reading, Barnet fell 2-1 at Cambridge, and Watford won 1-0 against Crawley with a 99th-minute goal from Marc Bola. Burnley avoided an upset against Notts County, with Kyle Walker scoring the winning penalty in a shootout.
