West Ham 2 Everton 0: Frank Lampard on brink of sack as dad-to-be Bowen’s double gives David Moyes much-needed win
DAD-TO-BE JARROD BOWEN celebrated a brace for the second time in a week as his goals won El Sackico for David Moyes and West Ham.
Bowen and partner Dani Dyer have just announced they are expecting twins and the Hammers forward was also on target twice on the pitch.
The England forward’s quickfire first-half brace was enough to condemn Everton to another defeat and leave boss Frank Lampard clinging on desperately to his job.
Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri attended his first game since October 2021 – just a week after his fellow board members were advised to stay away from the home match against Southampton for their own safety.
But Moshiri was anything but a lucky charm as the team into which he has sunk more than half a billion pounds continued its descent towards the Championship.
Some Everton fans’ passion for their club has overstepped the mark into violence, if some reports are to be believed.
But the away support could not even muster much anger against Moshiri beyond the usual banners attacking him and his fellow directors.
West Ham and the home crowd paid warm tribute to late co-owner and co-chairman David Gold before kick-off.
It was more food for thought for Moshiri, chairman Bill Kenwright, chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale and fellow director Graeme Sharp as they sat in the directors’ box.
For half an hour, they watched their team at least match the Hammers in a game that was curiously lacking in passion considering what was at stake.
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But that familiar sinking feeling soon arrived.
Bowen looked well offside from Kurt Zouma’s header after an Emerson cross. But the celebrations that had been cut short by the VAR review resumed when the cameras showed James Tarkowski playing the West Ham forward onside.
Tarkowski was very much to blame for the second, minutes later. He made a reckless, unnecessary challenge on Michail Antonio on the sideline and then could not recover in time to prevent the cross.
But he could be upset that no team-mate prevented Bowen running from deep to complete a slow-motion one-two in style.
Some Everton fans started streaming out to the concourses and missed an Alex Iwobi shot being deflected on to the far post.
Lampard made a double change at the break and it almost paid immediate dividends. But no-one could convert a dangerous cross and Idrissa Gueye wasted a follow-up chance with a heavy touch.
Then Dominic Calvert-Lewin came close to connecting with an Iwobi cross and Gueye saw a shot deflected just wide.
Pickford saved from Emerson on the break and Nayef Aguerd headed the resulting corner over the bar as West Ham tried to kill the game.
New signing Danny Ings replaced Antonio, who had put in another decent shift, and captain Declan Rice sent his shot just wide after a trademark burst.
The West Ham fans had serenaded former trainee Lampard with their “Big Fat Frank” song before kick off.
As the game drifted to its conclusion, they told him he would be getting sacked in the morning.
That’s for Moshiri to decide. On the day, though, potent Bowen was decisive – he shoots, he scores.
You can follow how the action unfolded in our live blow below…