1-0, min. 54, Soucek. 1-1, min. 69, Doherty. 2-1, min. 72, Bowen
West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui could be given another chance after his side beat Wolves at the London Stadium thanks to goals from Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen.
With just 24 points combined for both sides before this game, it was a meeting which meant a lot for the jobs of Lopetegui and Gary O’Neil, with the former getting the better result on Monday night.
Soucek opened the scoring with a header after a goalless first half before Matt Doherty levelled the game up 15 minutes later.
Mohammed Kudus did hit the net before that equaliser but, after a lengthy VAR check for offside, was ruled out.
West Ham replied perfectly to that equaliser and within three minutes they were in the lead again, this time from Bowen after a piece of individual brilliance, tucking his shot into the bottom left corner.
The hosts picked Wolves apart perfectly and Lopetegui could be given another opportunity to show why he deserves the job, whereas O’Neil would be lucky to keep his after another dismal performance and a third straight defeat.
Story of the Match
Just one week ago in West Ham’s 3-1 loss to Leicester, Lopetegui’s side racked up a total of 31 shots throughout but could only muster the one goal despite a mass number of attempts.
There was a similar situation looming at the London Stadium where, from both teams combined, there were a total of 21 shots in the first half but nothing to show for it.
The hosts certainly had the better chances of the first 45 minutes, their best coming 10 minutes before the break when Konstantinos Mavropanos hit an effort off-target despite being six yards out.
It started from a corner which was taken short to Kudus, who soon after crossed towards the back post where Max Kilman was situated.
The former Wolves defender leapt high and pulled it back to Mavropanos, whose shot was too poor to make anything of it, and the game remained goalless.
Bowen had a touch of fortune in the 23rd minute when Soucek had managed to flick the ball off a Wolves player, which sent the forward through for a shot at goal.
However, Sam Johnstone, in the squad as a replacement for Jose Sa, did well to stay on his feet and deny Bowen with a strong right footed save.
Down at the other end, there was a dangerous counter-attack for Wolves which started with a phenomenal pass from Jorgen Strand Larsen to right-back Doherty.
Doherty decided to cross with his first touch but that delivery proved too high for Strand Larsen who did excellently to drive into the box following his diagonal pass across the pitch.
He wasn’t alone though, and Joao Gomes ran onto the back post rapidly to meet Doherty’s cross but his right-footed effort was off target.
West Ham replied to that chance well, and Bowen picked the ball up on the back of a corner before passing out to Kudus from the byline.
Kudus tried to tuck the ball into the bottom left corner but Johnstone made a great save, pushing the ball away from danger during a flurry of West Ham chances.
Just a few moments earlier it was the hosts knocking on the door again when Summerville found space and flicked a precise through ball to Carlos Soler running in behind.
The Spain international’s first touch wasn’t the best, but set him up for the shot nonetheless which was blocked bravely by Rayan Ait-Nouri.
West Ham did well to stay motivated in this tie, especially when it rang the same bells as their defeat to Leicester at the start of the month in having so many shots but little reward from it.
Lopetegui’s side had pressed relentlessly though, and had earned their most amount of corners in a single game after just 53 minutes.
From that set-piece, Bowen had crossed towards the back post - something that was becoming more and more predictable throughout - and was met by Soucek, whose header went looping over both goalkeeper Johnstone and Gomes, and into the net.
Just six minutes later it was Kudus who tapped in Bowen’s pass across the box, but a lengthy VAR check ruled the goal out and the scoreline remained 1-0.
The pressure on O’Neil’s job was getting heavier and heavier as the game went on, and things did not get any better for the Wolves manager when his side were essentially robbed of quite an obvious penalty.
Matheus Cunha, who has been the visitors’ most important player this season, passed to Goncalo Guedes but seemed to have been shoved in the back by Emerson, who was already on a yellow card.
Another VAR check, after appeals were made, deemed the challenge not to be a foul and O’Neil was seething with anger and frustration.
Wolves equaliser is made meaningless by Bowen winner
It was one minute later when O’Neil was still complaining about that decision when his side levelled the game up and got themselves back in it.
Johnstone started the play with a superb ball over to Guedes on the left who, moments later, played Ait-Nouri through on the flank.
Ait-Nouri picked Doherty out on the penalty spot and the 32-year-old finished emphatically, hitting with his left foot first time and into the bottom corner.
What will be most agonising about this defeat for O’Neil will be the fact his lead did not last long. His side were far too poor in the press, and West Ham’s second came on the back of that problem with a touch of brilliance from Bowen.
It was a classic goal from the forward, who picked the ball up on the edge and conned Guedes before moving on the inside and charging his left-footed finish up with quick and precise dribbling.
The goal was special and the celebration mirrored that as he displayed a shirt with Michail Antonio’s name and number on the back, after the 34-year-old suffered a serious road accident on Saturday.
There were tributes paid before the game for the West Ham striker, who is likely to be missing at least one year after having surgery on a lower-limb fracture, according to reports.
And it was a special night for the hosts and Lopetegui, who is likely to be given another chance to lead the Hammers after being under increasing pressure.
For O’Neil however, it is unlikely there will be any decision made acutely, but his job is on the line more than ever after losing a 10th game this season.
