West Ham United defeats Sheffield United 2-0, with Jarrod Bowen firing a timely England reminder.
Gareth Southgate may have had his fill of friendly reminders after watching Ollie Watkins’ lunchtime hat-trick at Villa Park, ahead of revealing his current England team on Thursday.
But, if the Three Lions boss was looking for just one more, he didn’t have to look any further than the London Stadium, where Jarrod Bowen extended his brilliant start to the season, setting West Ham on their way to a 2-0 triumph over a desperate Sheffield United.
Bowen’s opener here was his fifth goal in seven Premier League games this season, his first at home after four in four on the road, and it accomplished the not-so-difficult task of shattering the limited early resolve of a visiting side that, after being thrashed 8-0 by Newcastle the week before, showed few signs of the promised response.
David Moyes argued on Friday that it was too early to write out any of the newly promoted sides, but his generous reading of the Blades’ early season troubles must have been put to the test by their performance here.
Moyes’ team, in a style that hasn’t always been their trademark, made a simple challenge on paper appear similarly so on grass. Victory, with Tomas Soucek adding a second goal before the break, confirmed that back-to-back League defeats against Liverpool and Manchester City had done little to derail their impressive start, which he believes has been fueled by the lingering afterglow of their Europa Conference League triumph in Prague in June.
Not just Bowen reflects on his best work. Vladimir Coufal returned from his summer sabbatical four years younger and set up the opener here for his third assist in as many league games, after only one last season. Soucek, who scored in consecutive midweek cup games, added his first League goal of the season to match his total for the entire season last season.
Surprisingly, after his team conceded eight goals at home on Sunday, Paul Heckingbottom made only one change, bringing back attacker Ollie McBurnie from suspension. But if the bet was to give the same group of players a chance to atone for their Newcastle disgrace, it backfired miserably. The visitors were hesitant in their few attacks and mainly inept at the back, allergic to every second-ball.
Newcastle had highlighted the Blades’ set-piece frailty, so it was no surprise that James Ward-Prowse’s corners created issues early on, with Bowen’s header palmed out by Wes Foderingham before Nayef Aguerd’s follow-up was cleared off the line.
Coufal left to charge into space down the right and pick up an unmarked Bowen, the winger’s first-time finish the mark of a player whose connection with the back of the net is again on over-familiar terms. It took the 26-year-old until April of last season to score his fifth League goal, and having rushed to the milestone, he must surely be earned another chance in an England shirt, having not played since his first call-ups in the summer of 2022.
Meanwhile, Soucek is enjoying renewed offensive license this season, and has a stronger desire to use it thanks to Ward-Prowse’s crossing ability and a resurrected Coufal. The lanky midfielder had already glanced narrowly wide from his countryman’s ball before sprinting onto Michail Antonio’s pass and neatly sliding past the committed Foderingham to increase the half-time lead.
The second half was almost comically sluggish, with West Ham – who had seen less of the ball this season than every other top tier side but Luton – playing keep-ball and Sheffield United hesitant to try and gain it back.
Moyes may have been disappointed that his squad failed to replicate Newcastle’s ruthlessness from a week ago, despite the arrivals of Mohammed Kudus and Said Benrahma in the hope of a late charge. However, on the occasion of his 900th League match as a manager, the Scot could hardly recall a more relaxed atmosphere.
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