Jarrod Bowen eases pressure on West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui to leave Gary O'Neil in danger

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.

“I don’t talk about noise, I talk about football,” Lopetegui said. “If you ask me about football, I will. A win is always good for me. The fans have supported us a lot through the bad times. I’m happy for them.”

O’Neil, who played for West Ham from 2011 to 2013, heard Wolves fans call for his dismissal during their 4-0 thrashing at Everton on Dec 4.

Now he will anxiously await the verdict from the club’s board on his future, which looks bleak after the latest blow to Wolves’ survival hopes.

“An awful lot of decisions went against us in a big game, big moments,” O’Neil said. “You need some of them to go your way but they didn’t.

“I’m not concerned. People above me are supportive, but the supporters want to be successful. I understand I have to take responsibility.”

West Ham were rocked at the weekend by the news that their Jamaican striker Michail Antonio had been in a serious car crash that left him needing surgery on a lower limb fracture.

The 34-year-old had to be cut out of his Ferrari following the accident, with Lopetegui admitting it was a “miracle” he survived.

He added: “It wasn’t an easy week. We dedicate the victory to Michail.”

Hammers fans held a minute’s applause for Antonio in the ninth minute to match his shirt number.

That emotional moment was in stark contrast to the turgid first-half fare produced by two teams racked with nerves and undermined by a chronic lack of quality in possession.

Wolves should have broken the deadlock when Matheus Cunha’s pinpoint pass sent Doherty racing away but Joao Gomes slashed the ensuing cross over from close range.

It was a costly miss as Soucek put West Ham in front after a 54th-minute corner, the unmarked Czech midfielder rising to loop his header over Sam Johnstone.

O’Neil was fuming again after Wolves were controversially denied a penalty for Emerson Palmieri’s push on Goncalo Guedes.

Doherty gave Wolves hope in the 69th minute when the defender met Rayan Ait-Nouri’s cross with a half-volley that flashed past Lukasz Fabianski.

But Bowen restored West Ham’s lead three minutes later as the England forward danced into the Wolves area before guiding a fine finish into the far corner.

On a night when Antonio was never far from West Ham’s thoughts, Bowen celebrated his crucial winner by holding aloft his teammate’s shirt.

In a frantic finale, Wolves had another penalty claim rejected when Konstantinos Mavropanos tripped Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, before Fabianski denied Mario Lemina to leave O’Neil facing the axe. AFP