Wolves 1-2 West Ham: James Ward-Prowse completes comeback straight from a corner
When James Ward-Prowse arrived at West Ham, he was just one free-kick goal away from equalling David Beckham’s Premier League record of 18.
Eight months later, still that wait goes on, but here was something to keep the set-piece stattos content in the meantime: a wonderful arching corner that held and swirled in the windy Wolverhampton air, before dropping beyond the reach of Jose Sa to give West Ham a 2-1 victory, their first league win in a month.
Once again, they were made to come from behind, Pablo Sarabia’s penalty giving the hosts a thoroughly deserved half-time lead. But the resilience David Moyes so lauded after Tuesday’s fightback to draw with Tottenham was on show again, the Hammers defying the loss of top-scorer Jarrod Bowen to hit back through Lucas Paqueta’s penalty, before Ward-Prowse struck gold.
Even that was almost not enough. In the ninth minute of added time, Max Kilman looked to have stolen a point, only for VAR to intervene and rule substitute Tawanda Chirewa offside in obscuring the view of goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. The decision was correct, but Premier League officials have not been in the good books - for good reason - at Molineux all season and the reaction of both the home supporters and manager Gary O’Neil was understandable, too.
With a view to Thursday night’s Europa League quarter-final at Bayer Leverkusen, Bowen’s hip injury is a major concern. Moyes, though, will at least take his side to Germany knowing their push for another season in Europe via the domestic route is still on course, victory keeping his team seventh for another week at least.
With Michail Antonio having lasted his first 90 minutes since October in Tuesday’s draw with Tottenham, Moyes tweaked his lineup, benching the Jamaican and bringing Edson Alvarez - available again after suspension - in to bolster midfield.
That left Mohammed Kudus, Bowen and Paqueta to operate as a front-three, the same combination that had cut Wolves to ribbons in the 3-0 victory at the London Stadium earlier this season.
The contrast here, though, could not have been more stark, all three put through the torment of a lonely stint at centre-forward at some point in a tepid first-half and none able to influence affairs. Only Bowen’s harrying out of possession forged a chance, the Englishman robbing Nelson Semedo and pulling back for Tomas Soucek six yards out. With so much goal to aim at, though, the Czech took his eye off the ball and let it slide under his foot.
Wolves ought to have been similarly blunt in attack having seen their forward line ravaged by injury, but Sarabia was excellent as link man, while the in-form Rayan Ait-Nouri rampaged off the right and Tommy Doyle was a threat arriving late to the piece.
That trio combined to cut the Hammers apart on half-hour, Sarabia’s cushion to Doyle allowing the Manchester City loanee to send Ait Nouri in behind. Emerson had tracked the Algerian’s run, but his lunge was desperate and referee Tony Harrington pointed to the spot. West Ham have been on the end of some stinking decisions of late, but there was no reason to grumble here.
Sarabia stepped up and fired home via the base of the post to put the hosts in front, West Ham’s run without a clean sheet now extending to a dozen league games.
Moyes, often criticised for leaving his substitutions late, moved quickly here, sending on Ben Johnson and Antonio - on the occasion of his 300th West Ham appearance - at the break. Within seconds of the restart, the forward had managed the visitors’s first shot on target, albeit not one to cause Sa alarm.
An improved start, though, was soon threatened by the loss of Bowen, the winger coming off second-best in a collision with Mario Lemina and, after a brief attempt to carry on, heading for the tunnel.
Rather than send the only winger on his bench, Maxwel Cornet, into the fray, Moyes raised eyebrows by introducing Aaron Cresswell and instead pushing Emerson into attack.
The move looked to have paid off just after the hour when the Italian headed home from Kudus’s cross, but he had inadvertently caught Semedo on the heel in the build-up and the Portuguese’s gamble on hitting the deck paid off in the award of a home free-kick.
Emerson was by now, though, involved in everything and when Joao Gomes and Toti were both too casual in their own box, the novel winger pounced, stealing possession and delivering from the byline, with only the arm of Max Kilman cutting the ball out. From the same penalty spot as Sarabia, Paqueta stroked home.
For West Ham, then, it was into the chaos of a second frantic Saturday finale in as many weeks and, as at Newcastle, facing a home crowd set alight. This time, though, they emerged alive.
