Bowen relieves West Ham to turn up heat on O'Neil
The Guardian|December 10, 2024
Pitted against the incompetence of Wolves' defending, the mediocrity of West Ham's performance was not enough to bring about the end of Julen Lopetegui's unhappy reign.
Jacob Steinberg
Bowen relieves West Ham to turn up heat on O'Neil

Instead, it is likely to be Gary O'Neil looking for a new job after his side were beaten by avoidable goals from Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen.

Wolves, who have the worst defensive record in the top flight, were on for a point when Matt Doherty equalised. Their inability to defend is why they are in trouble, though. It allowed West Ham to win it for Michail Antonio.

This was bound to be a night of heightened emotions after the horror of Antonio's car crash on Saturday. Although the forward survived, fans cannot help but wonder if he will play again after having surgery on a broken leg and it was difficult to know if the shock would affect West Ham's focus.

Football felt secondary at the outset, the doubts hanging over Lopetegui and O'Neil an irrelevance given the wider context. For West Ham, the absence of their Premier League record goalscorer hung over everything. There were tributes before kick-off, players warming up in training tops with their stricken teammate's name on the back.

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