West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen admitted the position his side left themselves in at the break against Arsenal was unacceptable, despite there being some positives to take from their second-half performance at London Stadium.
Julen Lopetegui’s side were beaten 5-2 on their own turf by the title-chasing Gunners, who found themselves four goals to the good after 36 minutes.
The Hammers showed their fighting spirit to pull back two goals in as many minutes, via a composed first-time finish from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson’s superb free-kick, but the visitors netted a fifth deep into first-half stoppage time to kill off the contest by the interval.
While they were unable to find a breakthrough in the second period, coming close through Danny Ings’ trickling shot, Bowen and his teammates continued to work hard and limited their opponents to little joy, which he is pleased with heading into another busy week of Premier League action.
“It was hugely disappointing,” Bowen said. “I think with the way we started the game, the goals that we conceded, and the position we found ourselves in at 4-0 down after 36 minutes, it was never a good thing.
“At 4-2 we thought it could have been a different game, and we felt the energy. It was a lot better from us, but we concede another penalty, and from that point it’s difficult.
“There’s almost nothing to lose at that point, and we just needed that third goal to give us a bit more of a boost in confidence. It wasn’t a good day for us, and we’re disappointed for the game to finish in the way it did, but for us to be 4-0 down at home in the first half is unacceptable.
“The goals were very easy to avoid, and as a team we made too many mistakes, and against a top team like Arsenal, you’re going to get punished.
“I think the second penalty was a bit of a frustrating decision, and it’s one that has gone against us in terms of consistency, but ultimately, we need to deal with those decisions, and there will be times when we get those decisions in our favour throughout the season.”
Bowen hailed the support of the Hammers faithful, who spurred his side on throughout the London derby. The skipper was disappointed his side could not reward the fans for their rallying support, but hopes they can bounce back with a performance against Leicester City at King Power Stadium on Tuesday.
“There are positives to take from the second half, and we knew when we scored those two goals we had them on the ropes and had a chance," Bowen confirmed.
"In the second half it was about how much we wanted to go for it, and I think we did. It’s easier to do it when you’re 5-2 down, and we just couldn’t get that third goal. But like always with this Club, the work-rate and desire is always there, and the fans helped us along the way and created a good atmosphere. Unfortunately today we couldn’t give them a result they wanted.
“There are a lot of games coming up in a short space of time, and we need to go to Leicester and win that game now.”
