EPL

West Ham 4-1 Ipswich Town: Hosts register first home win of the season after frantic start

By Sports Desk October 05, 2024

West Ham overcame a frantic start to secure a much-needed first home win of the Premier League season against Ipswich Town as a free-flowing performance gave them a 4-1 victory.

Michail Antonio got the hosts off to a flyer at London Stadium on Saturday with a goal after only 48 seconds, but Liam Delap provided a rapid response just five minutes later to level the contest.

West Ham, however, regained composure and Mohammed Kudus went close on 37 minutes as Antonio’s curling cross from the right found the Ghanaian at the back post, but his header hit the post before being cleared.

The hosts finally made their dominance pay when Kudus found the net to restore the lead just before half-time.

Captain Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta added to the scoreline after the break as the hosts ultimately claimed a comprehensive triumph to end a poor run of form that had seen them fail to register a win across September.

A convincing defeat for Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich means they remain winless and hover just one point above the bottom three in 17th position, while West Ham rise to 12th in the early league table. 

Data Debrief: Hosts find goalscoring form

Antonio’s opener was West Ham’s earliest Premier League goal on record (since 2006-07).

Bowen both scored and assisted in a Premier League game for the eighth time in his career. Since his debut for the Hammers in February 2020 only five players have scored and assisted in more matches in the competition (Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, Bruno Fernandes and Son Heung-min).

Fellow goalscorer Kudus scored his first league goal of the season with his 18th attempt, before today only Fernandes (17) had more shots without scoring in the Premier League in 2024-25 than the Ghanian (15).

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    Julen Lopetegui had plenty of praise for West Ham's "strong mentality" as his side triumphed 4-1 against Ipswich Town at London Stadium.

    It marked the Hammers’ first win at home this Premier League season, while Ipswich remain winless.

    The hosts went 1-0 ahead after 48 seconds through Michail Antonio - West Ham’s earliest Premier League goal on record.

    Having been pegged back to level terms just five minutes later when Liam Delap scored following a corner, Lopetegui was pleased with how his side set about regaining control, with Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta on target.

    "We started better but we suffered a very early goal too. We conceded from the first corner and maybe we could have done better. It was key as the team then showed a strong mentality," he said, as quoted by Sky Sports.

    "In the bad moments, you have to be strong. We did against Brentford and we did again today. It's important to highlight as it will help us become a better team."

    West Ham proved the dominant force, registering 23 shots with 17 of them coming from inside the box. It meant Lopetegui’s men accumulated an expected goals (xG) total of 3.17 by full-time.

    "We're happy when we win. We work for this. We're happy for the fans as they deserve this and for the players as they are working very hard. It was against a good team. They didn't lose to Villa, Fulham, Southampton, Brighton so it's a good win,” he added.

    For Lopetegui's counterpart Kieran McKenna, the result was another stark reminder of the challenges the Premier League presents for a promoted side.

    The Tractor Boys sit in seventeenth, just one point above the relegation zone.

    "It ended up a disappointing day for us. There was a large majority of the first half in which it was a competitive game that was evenly fought. We played some good football but we conceded poor goals which changed the momentum of the game," McKenna said.

    "We didn't deal well enough with the direct play. The goals came from those moments so there's a lot for us to learn."

    Ipswich allowed their opponents 28 touches inside their box, while they were reliant on the woodwork to stop West Ham from adding to their lead.

    "They didn't have to work hard for their goals. Apart from the fourth, the goals came too easily. They have quality and they showed that with the goals and chances they created if you give them opportunities," reflected McKenna.
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    Kovacic scored either side of half-time to complete the turnaround, as Pep Guardiola's side came from behind to maintain the pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool, who they trail by a single point.

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    "It means a lot because my wife is pregnant, so it was great to get some goals for the little one," he said. "It is never easy to play in the Premier League and, today, we showed great character. 

    "We dominated in the beginning and couldn't score, conceded the goal and then came back quickly. In the end, we won it. It was a tough game against an opponent in good form, so for us, it is good to continue winning.

    "It is always important to get the win. It doesn't matter who scores; the most important thing is getting three points. Now, we hope to continue like this."

    Kovacic anchored City's midfield in the absence of Rodri, who suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal a fortnight ago.

    "I am playing there in the middle at the moment and, of course, we need to cover for Rodri. We miss him a lot," the 30-year-old added.

    "I think any team would miss him, the player that he is, and we wish him a speedy recovery and hope he comes back in as good a shape as possible. 

    "For now, we have to adapt and, for sure, the manager has a lot of options, so we can rotate."

  • Leicester City 1-0 Bournemouth: Buonanotte hands Foxes first win Leicester City 1-0 Bournemouth: Buonanotte hands Foxes first win

    Leicester City finally got their first win of the Premier League season, defeating Bournemouth 1-0 at the King Power Stadium.

    Facundo Buonanotte scored the winning goal for Steve Cooper’s side in the 16th minute with a stunning curling effort.

    Bournemouth put on a much better display in the second half though, with Lewis Cook having a direct free-kick ruled out for offside 66 minutes in.

    Illia Zabarnyi and Dango Ouattara also hit the woodwork as the Cherries continued to dominate, but they fell short of finding an equaliser.

    The Foxes move up to 15th place, with six points from seven matches, while Bournemouth sit 13th – two points better off their opponents.

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    While Leicester had to wait for their first victory since returning to the top flight, it came via a player who had already impressed under Cooper.

    Buonanotte now has four goal involvements in six Premier League appearances this season – already his joint-most across a single campaign in the competition (also four for Brighton and Hove Albion in 2023-24). 

    Indeed, his four goal contributions in his last five league games is as many as he managed in his previous 36 matches.

    Leicester had to come through plenty of pressure at the other end, but they held firm for their first home clean sheet in the Premier League since October 2022 – a 2-0 win over Leeds United that game 16 home top-flight games ago.

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