West Ham United extended their winless run to five games after twice giving up their lead as Aston Villa emerged 3-2 winners at the London Stadium on Sunday.
West Ham flew out of the blocks early in the game as Mateus Fernandes struck inside 29 seconds to score the Premier League’s quickest goal of the season.
Villa hit back soon after, levelling in the ninth minute when Ollie Watkins pressured Konstantinos Mavropanos into an own goal, before Jarrod Bowen put the hosts back in front midway through the opening half.
The contest then belonged to Rogers. Villa’s key man pulled his side level in the 50th minute and sealed the turnaround with a superb long-range effort that dipped beyond a stranded Alphonse Areola in the 79th minute.
The victory leaves Villa third, three points off leaders Arsenal, while West Ham stay 18th, two points away from safety.
The defeat once again highlighted their struggles this season, which go beyond just performances; confidence has been a key reason.
However, Bowen, being the captain, has been one of the Hammer’s most reliable players and has shown his individual brilliance on several occasions this season.
Milestone
Sunday’s clash was another plausible outing; although he may not be too pleased with the result, he would take solace in his landmark record that has seen the 28-year-old write his name in the club’s history books.
Following his 24th-minute strike, the England international has now been directly involved in 100 goals in the Premier League for West Ham.
Making his 209th appearance for the Hammers since his £20m-plus move from Hull City in January 2020, Bowen netted his 61st goal for the club, while his only assist of the season is his 39th for the club.
He’s now one goal shy of matching the club’s record goal involvement, currently held by Michail Antonio, who made 101 goal contributions (68 goals and 33 assists) in 268 appearances for the club.
With 22 games still to play this season, the forward is expected to set a new record by a far wider margin — especially with five years remaining on his contract at the London Stadium.
However, individual milestones mean little if they do not translate into team success, and Bowen will hope his numbers help West Ham steer clear of relegation, with the club currently sitting 18th in the Premier League table.
