1. Captain Bowen steps up (again)
Jarrod Bowen is West Ham United’s man for the big moment.
Just as he did in Prague in June last year, the captain stepped up when his team needed him most in Monday’s 2-1 Premier League win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Prior to kick-off, Bowen spoke of the team’s support for absent teammate Michail Antonio, who spoke to the squad from his hospital bed following his car accident at the weekend.
Once the game began, after being denied by goalkeeper Sam Johnstone in the first half, Bowen took centre-stage again after half-time. First, on 54 minutes, he provided a corner for Tomáš Souček to head the Hammers in front.
Then, having been denied a second assist when Mohammed Kudus was flagged offside, and three minutes after Matt Doherty had swept Wolves level, Bowen collected from Kudus, stepped past Gonçalo Guedes and fired unerringly into the bottom left-hand corner.
It was the skipper’s 47th Premier League goal for the Club, taking him level with Paolo Di Canio and Mark Noble in second place in the all-time list behind Antonio.
Bowen celebrated with a nod, and by raising the centre-forward’s No9 shirt above his head, having again shown he is West Ham United’s man for the big moment.
2. Emotional Souček steps up (again)
Tomáš Souček and scoring huge goals have become a regular part of life at West Ham United since the giant Czech Republic international arrived in east London in January 2020.
Nearly five years on and the 29-year-old has now found the net 36 times in his 223 games in Claret and Blue.
Eleven of those goals have been towering headers, none of which have been scored in games West Ham have lost.
That was the case again on Monday evening as Souček lost his marker at the far post and sent an expertly taken header looping over the Wolverhampton Wanderers defence and into the net.
Souček span away, leapt into the air and raised eight fingers and a thumb in support for Michail Antonio, before giving a heartfelt post-match interview in which he dedicated his goal to a teammate who has given him great support since he joined from Slavia Prague.
3. A night of support for absent Antonio
It was an emotional Monday night at London Stadium.
Not only was there pressure on both teams to perform after indifferent recent results, but, more importantly, for West Ham United there was the desire to play well for Michail Antonio.
The popular No9 had undergone surgery for a broken lower limb suffered in a car accident on Saturday afternoon, and everyone in Claret and Blue wanted to make sure Antonio knew he had their support.
Before kick-off, the fans sang his name, while the players warmed-up and walked out in shirts and then presentation jackets bearing his name and number.
In the ninth minute, his name was sung again, and both West Ham goals were celebrated in his honour, with Tomáš Souček holding up eight fingers and a thumb, and Jarrod Bowen holding Antonio’s shirt aloft.
After the final whistle, both players and Head Coach Julen Lopetegui dedicated the win – an important win which took the Irons nine points clear of the bottom three – to their absent centre-forward, who we all hope to welcome back as soon as possible.
