Jarrod Bowen ended his goal drought with a hat-trick as West Ham United beat struggling Brentford 4-2 to secure their first win in nine games on Monday.
Bowen had not scored in the English Premier League since Dec. 23 last year, but the England forward got back on track with a stylish treble at the London Stadium.
The 27-year-old struck twice in the first seven minutes before Neal Maupay got one back for Brentford in a frantic opening 13 minutes.
Photo: AP
Bowen completed the first hat-trick of his career after the interval before superb long-range blast by Emerson made it four.
Yoane Wissa reduced Brentford’s deficit late on, but manager David Moyes’ side were able to celebrate their first victory since winning at Arsenal on Dec. 28.
Ending their longest winless streak in all competitions since 1997 was essential for Moyes, who has come under fire from frustrated fans in the past few weeks.
Moyes has yet to decide whether to accept the club’s offer of a new contract, with his present deal expiring at the end of this season.
After losing their past three league games, including a 6-0 embarrassment against Arsenal, and crashing out of the FA Cup at second tier Bristol City, West Ham’s climb to eighth place was a welcome boost for the beleaguered boss.
“We needed to get three points. We played in a much more aggressive fashion tonight,” Moyes said. “Jarrod was back to his best. He started the season really well, then got injured. If he keeps scoring he’ll be in that England squad for the Euros.”
Asked about his own future, Moyes said: “The big thing for me is to see what happens until the end of the season. I’ve enjoyed it here.”
Relegation-threatened Brentford had slipped down a place before kicking a ball on Monday, after Everton’s punishment for breaching Premier League financial rules was reduced from 10 points to six after an appeal.
Brentford have now lost five of their last six league games and sit below Everton in 16th place, five points above the relegation zone.
Asked about Brentford’s perilous position in the table, manager Thomas Frank said: “I’m unbelievably irritated with our performance, so that’s my only focus.”
“It’s two steps back again. It’s an inconsistent season so far,” he added.
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