Bowen scores hat-trick as West Ham beat struggling Brentford
Jarrod Bowen scored a hat-trick to help West Ham resoundingly beat struggling Brentford, who have now lost 10 of their past 12 Premier League matches.
Thomas Frank’s side were two down within seven minutes after a quickfire double by Bowen, before Neal Maupay’s 13th-minute goal brought them back into the game.
But Bowen restored his team’s two-goal cushion and former Chelsea man Emerson Palmieri sealed the hosts’ victory. Yoane Wissa’s late goal reduced the deficit.
The result – and fellow strugglers Everton having their penalty for breaching Premier League financial rules reduced from 10 points to six after an appeal – leaves the Bees just two places and five points above the relegation zone.
Having had a major let-off when Tomas Soucek missed a sitter, contriving to shoot over following Vladimir Coufal’s cross, they found themselves behind after Emerson pulled the ball back from the left for Bowen to fire past keeper Mark Flekken.
Worse followed for Brentford two minutes later. They were undone by a move started by Bowen, who drifted into the box and tucked away Coufal’s cross.
West Ham seemed to be in complete control, but were pegged back when Keane Lewis-Potter collected Ivan Toney’s pass and threaded the ball through to Maupay, who fired home.
Brentford rallied but lost defender Ben Mee , who went off injured on the hour mark, before the Hammers again scored twice in quick succession, with Bowen heading in Mohammed Kudus’ cross to complete his hat-trick and Emerson making it four with a thumping 25-yarder.
Wissa’s goal was also a fine strike – a curling shot into the corner of the net from near the edge of the penalty area.
Brentford: Flekken, Lewis-Potter, Zanka, Ajer, Mee (Collins 61), Reguilon (Roerslev 73), Norgaard, Onyeka (Janelt 73), Jensen (Damsgaard 77), Maupay (Wissa 73), Toney.
Subs not used: Strakosha, Ghoddos, Baptiste, Yarmoliuk.
