West Ham 2-1 Wolves (9 Dec, 2024) Game Analysis - ESPN (UK)

Revised: December 9, 2024, at 10:55 PM.

Jarrod Bowen from West Ham United scored in the middle of the second half, helping his team clinch a well-earned 2-1 victory at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday. The Wolves' mistakes in defense proved costly once more, leaving them sitting second from the bottom in the league table.

Wolves gave up a goal just three minutes after managing to level the score, keeping them in 19th place with nine points from 15 matches. Meanwhile, West Ham is in 14th place with 18 points. This season, Wolves have allowed 38 goals, which is the most in the league.

During the game, fans observed a minute of applause in the ninth minute to honor 34-year-old Hammers forward Michail Antonio. He is currently in the hospital recovering from surgery for a leg fracture he suffered in a car accident over the weekend.

As both West Ham's Julen Lopetegui and Wolves' Gary O'Neil face challenges in boosting their teams following a lackluster start to the season, the discussions leading up to the match centered on which manager's position was more precarious.

After generating multiple corner kicks without finding the net in the first half, it was Lopetegui's Hammers who finally scored the first goal in the 54th minute, thanks to Tomás Soucek's effort from their 10th corner.

Zac Goodwin / PA Images through Getty Images

The Wolves defense allowed the Czech midfielder to go unchecked at the back post, where he then directed a high header into the net.

The aim was to highlight that the Wolves have let in eight goals from corner kicks and a total of 15 from set pieces, not counting penalties, this season, making it the highest number among all teams in the top league.

Wolves equalized in the 69th minute when Matt Doherty struck a brilliantly executed volley that soared into the corner of the net, just moments after their convincing penalty claim was denied.

The lead didn't last long as the Wolves' defense showed its weaknesses once more. Just three minutes later, Bowen skillfully maneuvered onto his left foot inside the penalty area and fired the ball into the corner of the net.

Feeling deflated after giving up a goal so quickly after equalizing, Wolves found it difficult to build any momentum. Aside from a few weak shots that went off target, they posed little threat to the West Ham goal in the closing minutes, which allowed the home team to secure a comfortable victory.

Soucek shared after the match that the team had a video call with Antonio earlier that Monday.

"The goal was for him. I dedicated it to him. Before the match, I mentioned that I was eager to score even more today. He has been here ever since I arrived. He’s truly my favorite," he shared with Sky Sports, also expressing his excitement to see his teammate, who is on the mend.

Wolves manager O'Neil acknowledged that he felt the heat, but maintained that his players were putting in their maximum effort.

"I'm a bit let down for them, honestly, because they played well on the road despite facing a lot of pressure," he said to Sky Sports. "All I can do is ask them to put in their best effort, and they truly are giving it their all. I hope the fans continue to feel proud of what they witness from the team."