A hat-trick from Jarrod Bowen helped West Ham United to snap a six-match winless run in the Premier League as they secured their first victory of 2024 with a thrilling 4-2 home win over Brentford on Monday.
David Moyes' side moved up to eighth with 39 points, level with seventh-placed Brighton and five adrift of sixth-placed Manchester United. Brentford remain 16th with 25 points, five clear of the relegation zone.
“I'd hoped it was coming. It was needed. Our form in six weeks has been poor. It's good to score four goals and get a win at home,” Moyes told the BBC.
"(Eighth place) is not bad at this time of the season. We're always getting a level of criticism but we're up there challenging.
“There's a lot of teams with a lot of money and experience. It was only three years ago we were battling to avoid relegation most seasons.”
The hosts grabbed the lead five minutes into the game as Bowen collected Emerson's pass from the left to slam home a fierce low shot before doubling the lead with a half-volley from close range two minutes later.
Neal Maupay pulled one back for the visitors in the 13th minute after a pass from Keane Lewis-Potter, sliding through the centre of the box to lob the ball over French compatriot keeper Alphonse Areola.
Bowen capitalised on Brentford's sloppy defending to complete his first-ever senior hat-trick with a header on the edge of the six-yard box in the 63rd minute, and Emerson made it 4-1 with a superb long-range shot into the top right corner in the 69th minute.
Yoane Wissa scored eight minutes from time for Brentford, who came close to a stoppage-time goal but fell short as they suffered their fifth defeat in their last six games.
“There's been a lot of games, at Hull City too, where I scored two but couldn't get the third one,” Bowen said.
“Inside I was really happy for myself to get that first hat-trick I've been waiting for many years.
“We knew tonight we could create a home atmosphere with the fans and if we started well they'd respond to it.”
West Ham next play at Everton on Saturday, while Brentford host Chelsea.
• Coventry City's Ellis Simms struck a first-half hat-trick as they beat visiting Maidstone United 5-0 to end the sixth-tier side's fairy-tale FA Cup run in the fifth round on Monday.
Simms scored twice to put second-tier Coventry ahead inside 14 minutes, which silenced the 5,000 Maidstone fans who wore banana skins to support the National League South side.
Maidstone eliminated Barrow, Stevenage and Ipswich Town to become the lowest-ranked team to reach the last 16 in the competition since Blyth Spartans in the 1977-78 season.
However, their hopes of advancing were all but over after Simms scored his third goal in the 35th minute.
Fabio Tavares wrapped up the win for Mark Robins' side by scoring twice before the end to take them into the quarterfinals for the first time since 2009.
Coventry, ninth in the Championship table, will have to wait until Wednesday to find out their next opponents, with the rest of the fifth-round ties being played later this week. — Reuters
Bowen nets hat-trick as West Ham end poor run with 4-2 win over Brentford
Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
A hat-trick from Jarrod Bowen helped West Ham United to snap a six-match winless run in the Premier League as they secured their first victory of 2024 with a thrilling 4-2 home win over Brentford on Monday.
David Moyes' side moved up to eighth with 39 points, level with seventh-placed Brighton and five adrift of sixth-placed Manchester United. Brentford remain 16th with 25 points, five clear of the relegation zone.
“I'd hoped it was coming. It was needed. Our form in six weeks has been poor. It's good to score four goals and get a win at home,” Moyes told the BBC.
"(Eighth place) is not bad at this time of the season. We're always getting a level of criticism but we're up there challenging.
“There's a lot of teams with a lot of money and experience. It was only three years ago we were battling to avoid relegation most seasons.”
The hosts grabbed the lead five minutes into the game as Bowen collected Emerson's pass from the left to slam home a fierce low shot before doubling the lead with a half-volley from close range two minutes later.
Neal Maupay pulled one back for the visitors in the 13th minute after a pass from Keane Lewis-Potter, sliding through the centre of the box to lob the ball over French compatriot keeper Alphonse Areola.
Bowen capitalised on Brentford's sloppy defending to complete his first-ever senior hat-trick with a header on the edge of the six-yard box in the 63rd minute, and Emerson made it 4-1 with a superb long-range shot into the top right corner in the 69th minute.
Yoane Wissa scored eight minutes from time for Brentford, who came close to a stoppage-time goal but fell short as they suffered their fifth defeat in their last six games.
“There's been a lot of games, at Hull City too, where I scored two but couldn't get the third one,” Bowen said.
“Inside I was really happy for myself to get that first hat-trick I've been waiting for many years.
“We knew tonight we could create a home atmosphere with the fans and if we started well they'd respond to it.”
West Ham next play at Everton on Saturday, while Brentford host Chelsea.
• Coventry City's Ellis Simms struck a first-half hat-trick as they beat visiting Maidstone United 5-0 to end the sixth-tier side's fairy-tale FA Cup run in the fifth round on Monday.
Simms scored twice to put second-tier Coventry ahead inside 14 minutes, which silenced the 5,000 Maidstone fans who wore banana skins to support the National League South side.
Maidstone eliminated Barrow, Stevenage and Ipswich Town to become the lowest-ranked team to reach the last 16 in the competition since Blyth Spartans in the 1977-78 season.
However, their hopes of advancing were all but over after Simms scored his third goal in the 35th minute.
Fabio Tavares wrapped up the win for Mark Robins' side by scoring twice before the end to take them into the quarterfinals for the first time since 2009.
Coventry, ninth in the Championship table, will have to wait until Wednesday to find out their next opponents, with the rest of the fifth-round ties being played later this week. — Reuters
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