West Ham United ended their eight-game winless run in the Premier League with a convincing 4-1 victory over Brentford at the London Stadium on Monday night. Jarrod Bowen scored a hat-trick and Emerson Palmieri added a stunning fourth as the hosts moved up to eighth in the table. Brentford, who had won their previous two games, pulled one back through Neal Maupay in the first half but could not cope with West Ham’s intensity and creativity.
West Ham make perfect start with Bowen brace
The Hammers were desperate for a positive result after losing their last three games to Manchester United, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest by an aggregate score of 11-0. They got off to a perfect start as Bowen drilled a low shot off the post and into the net in the fifth minute, following a clever pass from Lucas Paqueta. Two minutes later, Bowen doubled the lead with a glancing header from a James Ward-Prowse free-kick, leaving Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken rooted to the spot.
Maupay ends drought but Brentford struggle to create chances
Brentford, who had beaten Liverpool and Manchester City in their last two games, showed some signs of life as Maupay scored his first goal in 36 matches in the 13th minute. The French striker latched onto a through ball from Ivan Toney and lifted a delicate finish over Alphonse Areola. However, that was the only shot on target for the visitors in the first half, as West Ham dominated possession and territory. Brentford’s defence looked shaky and vulnerable to West Ham’s pace and movement, while their midfield struggled to impose themselves on the game.
Bowen completes hat-trick and Emerson seals win with screamer
The second half continued in the same vein, as West Ham looked for a third goal to kill off the game. They got it in the 64th minute, as Bowen completed his first Premier League hat-trick with a downward header from a Mohamed Kudus cross. The 25-year-old winger, who had scored only four goals in his previous 25 games, was the star of the show for the hosts, who were relentless in their attacking play. Brentford tried to respond with some substitutions, but they could not find a way through West Ham’s defence, which was well marshalled by Kurt Zouma and Konstantinos Mavropanos. The icing on the cake for West Ham came in the 70th minute, as Emerson Palmieri unleashed a thunderous strike from 30 yards that flew into the top corner, leaving Flekken helpless. It was the Brazilian left-back’s first goal for the club since joining from Chelsea in January.
West Ham climb to eighth, Brentford drop to 16th
The final whistle brought relief and joy for West Ham, who had not won a league game since December 11. They moved up to eighth place with 39 points, six behind fourth-placed Aston Villa. David Moyes, who had been under pressure to turn things around, praised his players for their performance and singled out Bowen for his contribution. “He was fantastic tonight, he took his goals really well and worked hard for the team. He deserves all the credit,” the manager said. Brentford, on the other hand, suffered their third defeat in four games and dropped to 16th place with 25 points, five above the relegation zone. Thomas Frank, who had guided his team to impressive wins over the top two teams in the league, admitted that they were second best on the night and urged his players to bounce back. “We were not good enough, we made too many mistakes and we were punished by a very good team. We have to learn from this and improve for the next game,” the coach said.
