To West Ham, the Noble Prize, with their midfield man Mark unpicking sorry Southampton and scoring twice. And to Southampton?
Another inquest that will leave manager Nigel Adkins having to answer yet more questions about why a club that spent more money - over £33million - than all but five in Europe over the summer have ended up with the worst defence in the Premier League.
After one of the direst first halves the top flight can have witnessed - certainly so far this season - West Ham came out with renewed intent and were rewarded with a quick-fire double through Noble and Kevin Nolan.
Happy Hammers: Two-goal hero Mark Noble is grabbed by fellow goalscorer Kevin Nolan
MATCH FACTS
West Ham: Jaaskelainen, Tomkins (Spence 88), Collins, Reid, McCartney, Noble, Diame (O'Neil 68), Benayoun, Nolan, Jarvis, Carroll (Maiga 82). Subs not used: Spiegel, Cole, Chambers, Hall.
Scorers: Noble 46, 72 (pen), Nolan 48, Maiga 87.
Southampton: Boruc, Clyne, Hooiveld, Fonte, Yoshida, Puncheon (Mayuka 65), Schneiderlin, Steven Davis (Ward-Prowse 89), Lallana, Rodriguez (Lambert 65), Do Prado. Subs not used: Kelvin Davis, Seaborne, Chaplow, Reeves.
Booked: Hooiveld, Schneiderlin.
Scorer: Lallana 63.
Ref: Neil Swarbrick.
Att: 34,925.
Scorers: Noble 46, 72 (pen), Nolan 48, Maiga 87.
Southampton: Boruc, Clyne, Hooiveld, Fonte, Yoshida, Puncheon (Mayuka 65), Schneiderlin, Steven Davis (Ward-Prowse 89), Lallana, Rodriguez (Lambert 65), Do Prado. Subs not used: Kelvin Davis, Seaborne, Chaplow, Reeves.
Booked: Hooiveld, Schneiderlin.
Scorer: Lallana 63.
Ref: Neil Swarbrick.
Att: 34,925.
It continued West Ham's encouraging start to the season that means they are comfortably the best placed - and equipped - of the promoted three sides.
Southampton have shipped 24 goals in just eight games. 'We have conceded some poor goals today,' said Adkins, who acknowledged that he is coming under pressure within the club.
'There is a vision at the club of passing the ball and there needs to be stability, but football is a results-driven industry and you have got to win games of football.'
Adkins selected his third goalkeeper of the season in an attempt to staunch the flood of goals, with Artur Boruc called up for a debut. It had the effect of initially instilling some confidence in the beleaguered back four and, with Steve Davis and Lallana prompting from midfield, Southampton looked promising going forward for a while, Jason Puncheon in particular seeing plenty of the ball.
No mistake: Noble beat Artur Boruc from 12 yards to make it 3-1
Putting the game to bed: Noble wheels away after slotting home the decisive penalty
Mixed fortunes: Both Adam Lallana (left) and Nolan got on the scoresheet, but West Ham took all three points
With West Ham also disjointed and lacking rhythm, unable to get the ball into areas where Andy Carroll might have done some damage, it made for a poor spectacle.
'It was a lacklustre performance,' said West Ham manager Sam Allardyce.
'The players took a bit of criticism at half-time. We had to up the tempo and show the sort of desire we have done before this season. We came out and put it right.'
Indeed, all changed within a remarkable three minutes of the second half, as West Ham began to exhibit the blend of strengths of their game that is Allardyce's ethos - the passing embodied in Noble allied to a quality longer, higher delivery.
Top gear: West Ham celebrate Nolan's strike
In a tight spot: Nigel Adkins' Southampton are yet to glean a point away from St Mary's
Then, a mere 90 more seconds having passed, Yossi Benayoun - the replacement for Ricardo vaz Te, who has had shoulder surgery and will be out for three months - robbed the dithering Maya Yoshida and crossed low for Nolan to tap in.
Southampton responded out of the blue when Rodriguez fired in a low shot that was well off target but found Lallana in space eight yards out and he swivelled neatly before shooting into the roof of the net. It was Rodriguez's last action as Lambert now entered the fray.
On the run: Matt Jarvis has the beating of Nathaniel Clyne
Benayoun won the ball from the Japan international and his low cross was met at the back post by Nolan, who tapped home from close range.
Only the fine reactions of Boruc prevented the Hammers captain making it three in the 61st minute as he ghosted in and directed a quickly-taken free-kick goalwards.
False dawn: Lallana fires Southampton's only goal of the game
Brief respite: Lallana's strike beats Jussi Jaaskelainen
Noble lifted another free-kick into the penalty area and, in attempting to climb above Carroll, Fonte knocked the ball away with his hand. Noble duly tucked away the penalty.
Job done, Carroll was replaced by Maiga and the pacy Portuguese soon took a header from Nolan into his stride.
Before three Southampton defenders could get near him, he had curled home a fine left-footed shot from the right edge of the penalty area.
'It was a fantastic victory,' said a delighted Allardyce. 'To have 14 points at this stage is terrific.' Southampton, meanwhile, have four. That is half a point per game after an astronomical outlay.
A handful: Andy Carroll (right) tussles with Steven Davis
NO PLACE LIKE HOME FOR NOLAN
Kevin Nolan feels at home, whether it is in the colours of Newcastle or West Ham.
Fourteen of his 16 top-flight goals in the past three seasons have come in home matches.
The West Ham skipper has scored in four of his last five League appearances at Upton Park.
Mark Noble scored a League brace for the second time and has converted all six of his Premier League penalties since 2009-10.
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