Mark Noble column: No distractions for West Ham on my 500th appearance

That was certainly the case against Norwich and our performance against them looked even more impressive after watching them run Chelsea close at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

Everything clicked on the day at Carrow Road and we’re going to need a similar performance tonight. I felt good in the game but I’ll leave it to others to decide whether that was because I had sat out the previous couple of matches. All that concerns me is winning matches, full stop.

Whether someone on social media thinks I should be in the team, or whether another player can do better, is irrelevant as far as I’m concerned.

Tonight could be my 500th first-team competitive game for the club, so I must be doing something right.

It’s a special milestone but I don’t want to tempt fate by talking about it before it happens and, more than anything, I don’t want any distractions before this particular game. I don’t yet know if I’m in the team. Yes, I want to play but, above everything, I just want West Ham to win. The last time we were in this position was the season before last. We were 15th with three games to go and by no means certain to avoid relegation.

I scored in a 2-0 win at Leicester and we followed that with a goalless home draw with Manchester United and a 3-1 win over Everton, also at home.

This is similar — all we need to do is win as many of our last three games, starting tonight and then followed by Manchester United away and at home to Aston Villa on Sunday week.

I don’t care how we play — we just need to do as well as we can. We’d like it to be done and dusted by our final game but, if not, then so be it.

We’re playing well and Michail Antonio was exceptional at Norwich, where became the first West Ham player to score four goals in the top flight since David Cross in 1981.

Michail has pace and power and with the two goals I helped him score, I knew exactly where he was going and when he wanted the ball. When he is on his game, he is unplayable.

The result put Norwich down but they were so far adrift, they knew it was going to happen. Their players looked devastated and I’ve experienced relegation, so I have an idea how they feel.

When we were relegated under Avram Grant, though, I was recovering from a hernia operation and wasn’t involved really, so it was a bit different.

As far as tonight is concerned, I expect a tough game. I like Watford and they have some good, strong players, but what a massive incentive we have to win.