West Ham 2 (Soucek 54, Bowen 72) Wolves 1 (Doherty 69)
Wolves suffered a damaging defeat in the capital – their third reverse on the spin – this time losing 2-1 to West Ham United thanks to Jarrod Bowen’s winner 18 minutes from time.
After a tight first 45, Wolves continued their habit of conceding from set pieces when Tomas Soucek’s looping header dropped in. Gary O’Neil’s side then had two good penalty claims turned away by VAR either side of two more goals, one at each end.
Matt Doherty had Wolves level for a short period of time, after impressively converting Rayan Ait-Nouri’s cross, but within three minutes Bowen was allowed too much space to restore West Ham’s lead and they held on from there.
Unlike at Goodison Park last week, the first half was tight, with an air of nervousness from both sides. After a cagey first 20, Wolves began to make an impression on the game, with Mario Lemina shooting over from distance and Joao Gomes driving an effort straight at Lukasz Fabianski.
The Hammers’ first opening came through their captain Bowen, but the recalled Sam Johnstone saved well with his feet, while his opposite number Fabianski kept out Matheus Cunha’s weak near post strike.
The best chance of the half came on 32, but Wolves couldn’t take it. Gomes, Jorgen Strand Larsen and Cunha all linked up to free Doherty down the right and his cross was nicely into the path of Gomes, but he could only direct wide at the back post.
Within two minutes West Ham had their best opening too. A Mohammed Kudus curler had Johnstone at full-stretch, and while the goalkeeper could only parry, Soucek couldn’t react to turn the loose ball home.
In the closing stages Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo both had efforts blocked as Wolves grew in belief, while Doherty had a number of bites of the cherry, but desperate West Ham defending ensured it remain goalless at the break.
Half-time | West Ham 0-0 Wolves
Set pieces have been Wolves’ Achille’s heel all season, so it was little surprise that’s where West Ham’s opening goal came from. Bowen’s corner was deep but found Soucek at the back post and his header was sent back in the opposite direction and looped over a packed penalty area and in.
With the Hammers tasting blood, Kudus had a goal ruled out for offside. While VAR intervened there, it didn’t for the two times Wolves asked for a penalty, first for a push on Goncalo Guedes and when Jean-Ricner Bellegarde appeared to be caught.
Wolves did momentarily pull themselves level with a quality goal, courtesy of the two wing-backs. Ait-Nouri got in down the left and his cross was met by the run of Doherty, who turned in from near the penalty spot with his left foot.
However, just like against Bournemouth, Wolves’ celebrations were short-lived. When Guedes allowed Bowen inside on his left foot, the Old Gold were in trouble and the attacker curled into the bottom corner beyond the dive of Johnstone.
The visitors kept plugging away and both Lemina and Tommy Doyle should have done better when the former shot at Fabianksi and the latter blazed over when well-position.
Chances didn’t get any better than that during the closing stages, despite Wolves’ best efforts, and they were left to return home with another damaging defeat next to their name.
Full-time | West Ham 2-1 Wolves
West Ham | Fabianski, Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Mavropanos, Emerson (Cresswell 88), Soucek, Alvarez (Todibo 88), Soler (Paqueta 64), Kudus (Rodriguez 87), Bowen, Summerville (Ings 73).
Unused subs | Areola, Coufal, Fullkrug, Guilherme.
Wolves | Johnstone, Doherty, Semedo, Bueno, Toti, Ait-Nouri (R Gomes 86), Lemina, Andre (Bellegarde 62), J Gomes (Doyle 78), Cunha, Strand Larsen (Guedes 62).
Unused subs | Bentley, Dawson, Lima, Forbs, Hwang.
Referee | John Brooks
