Jarrod Bowen dedicated his match-winning goal to Michail Antonio as West Ham triumphed over Wolves 2-1 on Monday night. The England winger proudly displayed Antonio’s number nine shirt in a show of solidarity for the Hammers striker, who is currently recuperating in hospital following a scary car accident.
This victory could potentially have saved the job of West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui, at least temporarily, while the future looks uncertain for Wolves’ beleaguered manager Gary O’Neil after a third consecutive loss. However, any worries about poor performance or the job security of either manager were overshadowed by the news of Antonio's serious road accident on Saturday afternoon.
Thankfully, West Ham confirmed that he was stable, conscious and communicating on Saturday evening. The 34-year-old has undergone surgery for a broken leg and faces a lengthy recovery period.
In a show of support for their injured team-mate, West Ham players wore ‘Antonio 9′ shirts during warm-up and walk-out. These shirts will be signed by the players, including Antonio, and auctioned off, with the proceeds going to the NHS and Air Ambulances UK.
Attention was still on Antonio in the ninth minute, with a minute’s applause for the club’s record Premier League goalscorer. However, in a lacklustre first half, it wasn't until the 20th minute that anyone had a shot, with Wolves’ Joao Gomes shooting straight at Lukasz Fabianski, who also saved from Matheus Cunha at his near post.
Gomes missed a golden opportunity to put the visitors in front when he failed to convert Matt Doherty’s cross at the far post. West Ham's Mohammed Kudus then set up Bowen, whose shot was denied by Wolves keeper Sam Johnstone.
Konstantinos Mavropanos sent a shot soaring over the bar from a corner as the first half came to an uneventful close. However, Tomas Soucek broke the deadlock nine minutes into the second half, heading in a goal completely unmarked from Bowen’s corner.
The Czech midfielder held up nine fingers to a television camera in a show of support for Antonio. Kudus thought he had scored five minutes later, but his goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR check.
O’Neil was furious on the touchline when no penalty was given after Emerson Palmieri knocked over Goncalo Guedes. His mood lifted momentarily when Rayan Ait-Nouri crossed to Doherty who netted a goal.
But Bowen sealed the game for West Ham in the 72nd minute with a superb finish past Johnstone. The defeat proved too much for Wolves captain Mario Lemina, who had to be escorted from the pitch at the final whistle after a heated exchange with players and staff from both teams.