Jarrod Bowen scored the first senior hat-trick of his career and Emerson Palmieri fired the goal of the game from distance as West Ham ended their three-match losing Premier League run and claimed their first victory of 2024 in style with a comfortable home win against out-of-sorts Brentford.
England international Bowen netted twice in three minutes to put the Hammers 2-0 ahead after seven minutes, only for Neal Maupay to convert six minutes later to give the visitors hope.
After Bowen headed his third 18 minutes after the break, Palmieri produced a sublime fourth from 25 yards, with substitute Yoane Wissa slotting in a late consolation.
The result moves West Ham up to eighth, while 16th-placed Brentford are five points above the relegation zone.
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West Ham manager David Moyes’ position has come under scrutiny during a poor start to the year for his team, shipping 11 goals without reply in their three games before this return to form.
A 6-0 home thrashing by Arsenal on their last outing at the London Stadium was humiliating, but a 2-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest offered further cause for concern that Moyes may have lost his ability to keep West Ham progressing in the Premier League.
Bowen’s early double gave Moyes a dream start, collecting Palmieri’s pass for his first via the inside of a post and coolly finding the net from Vladimir Coufal’s ball for his second.
Stop what you are doing and watch this strike from Emerson Palmieri! ???? pic.twitter.com/19fkKdgZjc
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 26, 2024
If Bowen’s first goals since before Christmas were welcome, the ease with which Maupay lofted his finish beyond Alphonse Areola, having been located by Keane Lewis-Potter, would have raised tensions among the home fans again.
The game seemed beyond Brentford when Bowen headed in from a searching Mohammed Kudus delivery, although Thomas Frank’s players applied late pressure following Wissa’s reply.
Areola had to be in alert mood to maintain West Ham’s two-goal cushion, and Ivan Toney had a close-range shot blocked on a day when Brentford had already dropped a place because Everton had their points deduction reduced from 10 to six points.
Brentford have rarely looked in relegation danger under Frank but their run of 10 defeats in 12 Premier League matches will worry their manager ahead of a home game against Chelsea on Saturday and a visit to Arsenal a week later.
West Ham are next in action when they make the trip to Everton on Saturday, followed by an away match against German club Freiburg in the first leg of their Uefa Europa League round of 16 tie five days later.
