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Louise Thomas
Editor
Jarrod Bowen bounced back from his England disappointment by scoring one goal and making two more as West Ham thumped Ipswich 4-1.
The Hammers captain was left out of Lee Carsley’s latest Nations League squad this week, but he responded with a sizzling display as his side ended their barren home run in style.
Michail Antonio, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta were also on target as Julen Lopetegui finally celebrated a Premier League win at the London Stadium after defeats in his first three matches in charge.
The scoreline was probably harsh on Ipswich, but they remain winless on their return to the top flight despite briefly equalising through Liam Delap’s fourth goal of the season.
The Hammers had conceded inside 38 seconds at Brentford last weekend, but this time they were the lightning starters.
Kalvin Phillips endured a torrid loan spell at West Ham last season and his return to east London started badly, too, after he gifted Tomas Soucek possession.
The Czech midfielder fed Bowen down the right and his low cross was met by Antonio, who swept the ball past Town keeper Arijanet Muric with only 47 seconds on the clock.
But Ipswich hit back just six minutes later when Delap collected the ball from a half-cleared corner, turned away from Paqueta’s weak challenge and lashed his shot inside Alphonse Areola’s near post.
Jacob Greaves should have put the visitors ahead when he met a Leif Davies free-kick with a free header in front of goal, but he glanced the ball wide.
But West Ham were becoming dominant and Kudus headed Antonio’s cross against a post moments before Soucek’s shot was cleared off the line by Dara O’Shea.
They went back in front two minutes before the interval when Antonio’s powerful header from Emerson Palmieri’s cross crashed against the underside of the crossbar and bounced up off the goalline for Kudus to nod in the rebound.
Just four minutes into the second half Bowen added the third with a goal all of Ipswich’s making.
Muric made a mess of controlling a backpass, almost letting Antonio in, and the hasty clearance fell to Bowen out on the right.
Bowen cut inside the lumbering Phillips and drilled a low shot past Muric into the far corner.
Kudus was denied a second when he got a touch on to Bowen’s ball over the top only for Muric to make a fine reaction save, and Ipswich briefly threatened to half the deficit when Delap’s header was clawed out by Areola.
But West Ham wrapped up a comprehensive victory when Bowen scampered down the right once more and crossed for Paqueta to tap in the fourth.
