AP:
WEST HAM captain Jarrod Bowen needed to be pulled away by teammates after attempting to approach fans following a 3-2 loss to Wolverhampton in the English League Cup yesterday that continued the team’s miserable start to the season.
In other second-round matches, Premier League clubs Leeds and Sunderland lost on penalties to lower-league opponents Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield, while Wrexham scored a stoppage-time winner to beat Preston 3-2.
Bowen took to Instagram to apologise to West Ham’s travelling fans for his post-match conduct at Molineux after he and his teammates went over to applaud them. At one stage, he appeared to point at a fan and make a comment before attempting to vault the advertising boarding – only to be stopped by teammates.
The England winger removed the captain’s armband and walked off the field with his head down.
“I’m someone who is passionate and will fight ever\[y\] time I step on the pitch,” Bowen wrote. “But I need to set a better example and you fans know how much I love you and this club!”
The Hammers came into the match having already lost to Sunderland and Chelsea in the Premier League, conceding eight goals in the process, to leave manager Graham Potter under some early-season pressure.
Jørgen Strand Larsen scored in the 82nd and 84th minutes, soon after coming on as a substitute, to turn the game around for Wolves, which also lost its first two games in the league.
Rodrigo Gomes put Wolves ahead before goals by Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta gave West Ham the lead by the 63rd minute.
Missed penalties
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Leeds missed all three of their penalties to lose the shoot-out 3-0 against second-tier Wednesday after a 1-1 draw.
Sunderland scored late to draw 1-1 with Huddersfield, only to lose the shoot-out 6-5.
Bournemouth became the fourth Premier League team eliminated after losing 2-0 to Brentford, another top-flight rival. Fábio Carvalho and Igor Thiago scored Brentford’s goals.
Wrexham only made it to the second round after scoring two stoppage-time goals and then winning a shoot-out in the first round against Hull.
The globally popular Welsh team owned by Hollywood celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney left it late to advance again, with second-half substitute Kieffer Moore tapping in the winner in the second minute of added time against Preston.
Wrexham are assured of being with England’s powerhouse teams in the third round, the draw for which is made today after the second round is completed. The remaining matches include Manchester United visiting fourth-tier Grimsby.