BOWEN DROPS THE HAMMER ON WOLVES BOSS

O'Neil closer to exit after his second-bottom side fall 2-1 at West Ham in EPL's 'El Sackico'

LONDON - Jarrod Bowen eased the pressure on West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui on Dec 9, as he sealed a 2-1 English Premier League win that pushed Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O'Neil closer to the sack.

In a showdown dubbed "El Sackico" due to the intense scrutiny surrounding the futures of Lopetegui and O'Neil, it was the Hammers boss who earned some much-needed breathing space thanks to Bowen's moment of magic.

The forward bagged a priceless winner in the second half at the London Stadium, just moments after Wolves defender Matt Doherty had cancelled out Tomas Soucek's opener.

West Ham's first win in three games lifted them nine points clear of the relegation zone, while second-bottom Wolves remain four points adrift of safety after their 10th defeat in 15 league matches.

In the aftermath of their 3-1 loss at Leicester City on Dec 3, Lopetegui was reported to have survived a board meeting about his position.

But the Spaniard, who replaced David Moyes in the close-season, must build on this valuable victory over the team he managed in the 2022-23 season before he can fully relax.