Crisis? What crisis? Bowen leads the way as Hammers seize day in relegation six-pointer
West Ham (2) 2 Bowen 34, 41
Everton (0) 0
Jarrod Bowen's double ended a run of seven league games without a win as the Irons at last rediscovered some of their missing verve.
The talk before kick-off was that defeat would spell the end for David Moyes’ second spell in charge.
The immediate pre-match mood may have been all about goodwill and celebratory tributes to the recently departed co-owner David Gold, but that could not mask the serious undercurrent.
The London Stadium fans were desperate for a home win after a run of seven league games without a win and with lowly Everton –equally floundering in the bottom three – this had taken on massive significance.
Step forward Mr Bowen – with a little help from his friends.
After a quiet opening half hour in which Everton had looked the more comfortable, a snap-shot from outside the box by Said Benrahma – tipped over by Jordan Pickford – was all they had to show for their early efforts.
But then, Emerson swung in a cross from the left which Kurt Zouma managed to get a head to and the ball ran into space for Bowen to prod home.
VAR kept Hammers hearts in mouth as they examined a possible offside. But the ball seemed to come off Everton defender James Tarkowski before reaching the goalscorer.
Better was to come seven minutes later when Michail Antonio outmuscled Tarkowski on the right touchline and accelerated away to the byline before pulling back for Bowen to again score from close range.
Breathing space.
Alex Iwobi hit the base of Lukasz Fabianski’s right hand post just before the break and Frank Lampard’s troubled team made two changes at the interval to try and find a way back into the game.
A stretching Dominic Calvert-Lewin almost made contact with a low cross from Iwobi, and Idrissa Gueye, maybe the Toffees’ best player, flashed a shot just wide.
But that was more or less it, as the Everton surge faded.
Emerson almost settled it after a superb dart in from the left flank – after a fine one-two with Benrahma – before having an angled shot tipped onto the bar by Jordan Pickford.
Then, moments after Danny Ings had come on for his debut, Declan Rice danced in from the left after taking up a clever flick for Benrahma and almost scored. He got around Conor Coady and drilled through the legs of Pickford – missing the inside of the far post by a whisker.
This, in the end, was a comfortable win which should see off home discontent for a while, at least.
Hammers: (3-4-2-1) Fabianski – Zouma, Aguerd, Ogbonna – Coufal, Rice, Paqueta (Soucek 71), Emerson (Johnson 82) – Bowen, Benrahma (Downes 82) – Antonio (Ings 71). Subs not used|: Areola, Cresswell, Fornals, Lanzini, Kehrer
Toffees: (3-4-2-1) Pickford – Mina, Coady, Tarkowski – Coleman (Davies h/t), Onana, Gueye, Mykolenko (McNeil h/t) – Iwobi, Gray – Calvert-Lewin. Subs not used: Begovic, Holgate, Gordon, Maupay, Vinagre, Simms, Price
