West Ham United 4-2 Brentford
Premier League, London Stadium, Monday 26 February 2024, 8pm GMT
Jarrod Bowen’s first Premier League hat-trick inspired West Ham United to a deserved 4-2 win over Brentford that brought a welcome end to a six-game winless run.
The hosts burst out of the blocks at London Stadium and England forward Bowen notched a quick-fire double before the seven-minute mark, only for the Bees to hit back through Neal Maupay.
Chances for both sides saw the game remain in the balance until Bowen took his season goal count to 14 with a neat header in the 63rd minute, before Emerson made it 4-1 with a stunning strike and then Yoane Wissa grabbed a late consolation for Brentford.
Victory lifts David Moyes’ charges up to eighth in the standings, behind Brighton & Hove Albion only on goal difference, ahead of an away trip to Everton on Saturday 2 March.
Boss Moyes made three changes to the XI that started the defeat at Nottingham Forest last time out, with Lucas Paquetá, Tomáš Souček and Dinos Mavropanos coming in for Michail Antonio, Kalvin Phillips and Nayef Aguerd.
Souček was at the heart of the first real chance of the match within the first four minutes, the Czech Republic international skewing a shot over the bar from point-blank range after a deft flick-on from James Ward-Prowse found him in space.
But it was indeed 1-0 just seconds later, Bowen lashing home from just inside the area after Emerson picked out the Irons’ top scorer from the left at the end of a slick team move.
Brentford had barely caught their breath before Bowen notched his second of the night, the 27-year-old this time finishing smartly from 12 yards having initiated a push forward that involved Mohammed Kudus and Vladimír Coufal.
The Hammers’ joy was somewhat short-lived however as the visitors halved the deficit with still only 13 minutes on the clock, French forward Maupay lifting a shot over Alphonse Areola and into the net after being teed up by Keane Lewis-Potter.
Referee Simon Hooper turned down away appeals for a penalty after a Kudus challenge on Sergio Reguilón, but the chances continued to come at both ends and the returning Paquetá was soon rueing a missed effort that blazed over the woodwork.
The Brazil international had his head in his hands once again shortly after the 20-minute mark, after fizzing a first-time volley narrowly wide, and then Kudus was next to have a go but produced a similar result.
Both teams enjoyed spells of possession during a slightly quieter ten-minute spell, but Kudus added to his shot tally with two efforts either side of good work from Mavropanos and Areola that snuffed out early signs of Bees danger.
The away side looked dangerous in the final third but Moyes’ men continued to carve out openings, Souček heading off target and then latching onto a free-kick and scooping over only for the offside flag to go up.
A competitive start to the second 45 saw Mathias Jørgensen booked for a high foot against Paquetá in the early stages, seconds before the already-yellow-carded Reguilón took a chance with a clattering tackle on Souček.
A tame Lewis-Potter attempt was as much as Areola had to deal with in the first 12 minutes after the restart, and the Frenchman duly watched on as a speculative Reguilón try then deflected out for a corner.
And it wasn’t long before the home faithful were celebrating a third goal, Bowen popping up with a free header to complete his treble after good work from the lively Kudus down the right, restoring the two-goal advantage with little over 25 minutes to play.
The fans didn’t have to wait long for another reason to get excited, this time full-back Emerson lighting up the fixture with an incredible goal from 25 yards, having reacted first to a headed Frank Onyeka clearance.
Brentford refused to lie down, and substitute Wissa showed impressive composure to slot home a second for his side in the 82nd minute, but West Ham did enough to hold on for three crucial points at the end of seven minutes of added time.
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Mavropanos, Zouma ©, Emerson, Souček, Álvarez, Ward-Prowse, Paquetá (Antonio 76), Kudus (Johnson 90+4), Bowen
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Ogbonna, Aguerd, Cresswell, Cornet, Mubama, Ings
Goals: Bowen 5, 7, 63, Emerson 69
Booked: Álvarez
Brentford: Flekken, Jørgensen, Ajer, Mee (Collins 61), Reguilón (Roerslev 73), Onyeka (Janelt 73), Jensen (Damsgaard 77), Nørgaard ©, Lewis-Potter, Maupay (Wissa 73), Toney
Subs: Strakosha (GK), Ghoddos, Baptiste, Yarmolyuk
Goals: Maupay 13, Wissa 82
Booked: Reguilón, Jørgensen
Referee: Simon Hooper
Attendance: 62,450
