Four different scorers, four different celebrations and, above all, Jarrod Bowen.
West Ham United captain Michael Antonio, Mohamed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta scored Ipswich Town’s 4:1 goal. Antonio was hugged by his teammates, Kudus did his signature celebration, and Lucas Paqueta opted to try cleaning shoes with Bowen (below). But the English striker’s celebration of the gesture appeared to be a response to the criticism the team has faced this season.
Before facing Ipswich, manager Julen Lopetegui’s future was in the spotlight as West Ham were winless in their previous five games. The quartet of Kudus, Bowen, Antonio and Kudus had scored only three goals between them. The team struggled to perform fully. But it was an afternoon in which Lopetegui and the fans enjoyed long goals.
(Rob Newell – CameraSport a través de Getty Images)
All of Lopetegui’s methods were delayed: West Ham were good in and out of possession and played with intensity. In fact, they were going to embarrass the Ipswich defense even more, as Quds was their main tormentor. Lopetegui’s open exchange of words with the Ghana international at half-time against Brentford bore fruit. The forward, who had not scored a goal since May, had something to prove and his influence was undeniable.
Before opening his account for the season, a Kudus header hit the net. But one of the loudest sounds came when he joyfully turned around, grabbed a chair, and sat down determinedly. West Ham’s attack is much richer with him at his best. Paquet scored his first goal since the start of the season against Aston Villa. Based on his four goals against Norwich City in 2020, Antonio has shown that he is still capable of dominating teams in the East of England. The striker once again showed his best threat, wearing down rival defenses with his pace and earning a standing ovation off the pitch.
Although Bowen was left out of Lee Carsley’s England squad, the winger responded to the disappointment with a spirited performance. Lopetegui will note that Bowen is not his tall captain. He is a quiet leader who prefers to talk on the field.
“We worked for this,” Lopetegui said. “All our forwards scored goals, but I am also satisfied with our defensive work. That was a good answer Jarrod. This is the best way to show your frustration as a player. He knows it. “He is always willing to help the team, always willing to work hard and that is why he is a very good player.”
(Rob Newell – CameraSport a través de Getty Images)
What changed after the 1-1 draw against Brentford?
West Ham had a strong attack and, despite warning that they would face a top-class team, Ipswich managed to draw against Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa. In fact, it was their first league defeat since August against Manchester City. The opposition showed their offensive potential and Liam Delap was impressive up front. But West Ham’s alertness, intelligence in possession and pace were a strong feature.
Lopetegui usually hides his emotions in action, but there was euphoria when his team took a three-goal lead. Teams have taken advantage of West Ham’s lack of urgency in recent weeks. Nicholas Jackson and Cole Palmer scored in Chelsea’s 3-0 win, while Brian Mbeumo did the same for Brentford, scoring after 37 seconds. But against Ipswich it was West Ham’s turn to score in the first minute thanks to Antonio.
With Bowen moving forward, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is ready to repeat the race. Paketa also showed a desire to push forward, with Kudus forming a five-man attacking line, with Antonio perfectly positioned in the Ipswich defense to score with the resulting cross.
Lopetegui’s game plan worked.
Antonio gets the first of four ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/CF836VIz5M
– West Ham United (@WestHam) October 5, 2024
The offensive effectiveness of Kudus, Antonio, Bowen and Paceta improved significantly against Ipswich.
Performance against Ipswich Town
| Player | shots at door | Total visits | Expected goals (xG) |
|---|---|---|---|
It’s very different to how they did against Brentford…
Performance against Brentford
| Player | shots at door | Arrows | Expected goals (xG) |
|---|---|---|---|
Remember when teams used West Ham’s space in midfield? Well, the tables turned on Saturday. The package lies in a hectare of space before entering the box.
He receives a foul before scoring for the end. The Brazilian playmaker has struggled with consistency and been blamed for an alleged betting offence, but his performance was a step in the right direction.
“We played well and now we have to continue like this,” said Emerson Palmieri Atlético.
“We played with a lot of intensity, we pressed well and had good possession of the ball. We worked well even without the ball during the 90 minutes. It’s good (all four forwards scored) because of their confidence and they played well. Jarrod was amazing today. It is normal that all our attacking players want to score goals. They are top level players, sometimes you can’t make an impact in every game, but they have the quality to do it in every game.
View of Lucas’ goal by Bobby Moore below 👀 pic.twitter.com/qa9ownI5qG
– West Ham United (@WestHam) October 5, 2024
“You see them get frustrated at times when they can’t, but they help set the tone with their high throws. We are happy with them because they helped us. Everyone knows their strengths and it is not easy to train against them.
“Now we have to take advantage of this opportunity to improve and that includes me. From the first day with the new coach we always tried to do everything well. When you don’t win sometimes people say the wrong things. But this is just the beginning.” “Our confidence is high and ideally we want to play again (soon), but we can take advantage of the international break to improve in other areas.”
