Soccer

Bowen strikes twice to extend Norwich misery at the bottom

His seventh and eighth goals of season secure third straight league win for West Ham

West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen celebrates his second goal with Declan Rice. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

Wed Jan 12 2022 - 22:45

West Ham 2 Norwich 0

Jarrod Bowen fired West Ham into the top four and enhanced his England credentials in a 2-0 win over Norwich City.

Bowen’s seventh and eighth goals of the season secured a third straight Premier League win for West Ham and left Norwich rooted to the foot of the table.

The former Hull winger has now been directly involved in 16 goals this season – the most of any English player in the top flight.

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The statistics for Norwich make grim reading. It is now six successive defeats without scoring, equalling a depressing club record in the Premier League.

This London Stadium encounter was rearranged from December when Norwich were decimated by Covid-19 and injuries, and they may have felt they stood a better chance now with West Ham suffering similarly.

Boss David Moyes admitted there was Covid in the camp and although nothing was confirmed prior to kick-off, Tomas Soucek, Mark Noble and Ryan Fredericks were notable by their absence from the squad.

Nevertheless, the hosts were almost ahead inside the first two minutes when Manuel Lanzini's diagonal ball into the box found Bowen, but his shot was too close to City keeper Tim Krul. Moments later Nikola Vlasic reached the byline and cut the ball back for Lanzini, who lifted his effort over the crossbar.

Manhandled

Krul somehow escaped giving away a penalty when he manhandled Vlasic on the goal-line, throwing the forward to the floor by his face.

West Ham had the ball in the net after 35 minutes when Bowen’s cross flew straight in, but Vlasic was offside and interfering as the ball whizzed over his head.

They finally made one count three minutes before half-time. Aaron Cresswell's cross was overhit but found Vladimir Coufal on the right, and when the Czech full-back curled the ball back into the area Bowen got in front of Ben Gibson and nodded it home.

West Ham were given a warning when Adam Idah forced Lukasz Fabianski to push his drive against his near post.

But any doubts about the result were extinguished seven minutes from time when Bowen prodded home Arthur Masuaku’s cross and the VAR overturned an offside decision to seal the points for West Ham.

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