West Ham manager David Moyes says his side shouldn't have let themselves get into such a vulnerable position in their 3-2 Premier League win over Leicester City on Sunday.
A brace from Jesse Lingard as well as a Jarrod Bowen goal in the first half saw the hosts fire into a 3-0 lead at the London Stadium.
Goals then in the 70th and 91st minute from in-form striker Kelechi Iheanacho made for a nervous finish for the Hammers.
They did hold out though and with the three points returned to the top four.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Moyes was relieved to get the win but wasn't best pleased with how the 90 minutes played out.
"We should be learning our lesson by now. We've been in front a couple of times so I'm not happy, not pleased with the way it finished but I'm thrilled about getting three points against a very much in-form Leicester City team.
"If you go 3-0 up you've got to learn how to manage the game. At times you can make excuses and there's reasons for it but we can't put ourselves in that position again.
"We're much better than that and we didn't need to get in that position today.
"When you come up against the better teams they punish you."
This is just the latest in a long line of remarkable results for West Ham and it's safe to say no one would have predicted a possible European place for them come May.
They finished 15th last season, just five points from the relegation zone.
Moyes felf the first hour of Sunday's game highlighted what they've been doing well all season.
"It was great today for about 60 minutes, I really enjoyed it.
"We played really well in the first half at times. It could have been 4-0 at one point which could have given us an extra chance but look, I'm enjoying it, the players are doing really well.
"We've got a great bunch of lads, how they're playing and where we are at this moment in time is way beyond anybody's real thoughts.
"Seven [games] to go now - we're counting them down."
Meanwhile, speaking directly about the race for top four, Moyes said they deserve to be there although there are some excellent sides up against them for it.
"When you're up there, you want to try and stay up there but let's be fair, it's going to be really tough.
"I'm not for a minute thinking we're a Champions League club but we're going to try to.
"There's an awful lot of teams who have spent a lot of money and would be expected to be in that position so we're enjoying it, I'm enjoying it, you want to be at the top, you want your team to win and we've been brilliant.
"It's not about me, it's about West Ham and the players, for us all it would be an incredible achievement but let's be fair, with the standard of the teams below us - Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, the quality of the teams below us are so good but it's great credit that we're just about hanging in there."
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