David Moyes is hoping Saturday’s 2-0 win over Everton at London Stadium can belatedly kickstart West Ham United’s Premier League season.
Jarrod Bowen was the Hammers’ hero, doubling his top-flight tally for the season with two well-taken first half goals, to lead the Club to a deserved victory over Frank Lampard’s Toffees.
After an understandably cautious start, with both teams fielding five-man defences to keep the game tight, the Irons broke the deadlock on 34 minutes when the fit-again Kurt Zouma headed Emerson’s cross down for Bowen to convert past fellow England international Jordan Pickford.
And the No20, who announced he and partner, West Ham fan Dani Dyer, are expecting twins on Friday, made it two four minutes before half-time when he smashed Michail Antonio’s low delivery from the right into the roof of Pickford’s net.
Everton improved as an attacking threat after the break, but Nayef Aguerd led a superb defensive performance that helped the Hammers to a first win and clean sheet in eight Premier League matches dating back to a 2-0 home victory over AFC Bournemouth on 24 October – and praise from manager Moyes.
I’m very proud of that victory.
It felt like a bit of a pressurised game, which I thought in the main we handled pretty well. We passed the ball well and controlled periods in the first half.
They did as well, and the two systems meant that whoever maybe had the ball would be better on it, and then what it was going to come down to was if somebody could score any goals.
And as you well know, it's not been our forte of late, so for us to get a couple of goals today was great and it changed the whole feeling and we could defend and hang in there if we had to, because we got ourselves in front.
I wanted to try and get Jarrod and Micky further forward and inside so that we could try and get some goals.
I thought, if we played with a couple of wing-backs, maybe it would get us better crosses in the box, maybe higher up [the pitch].
In truth, it's not been a problem, creating or making opportunities. I think the bigger problem has been not finishing them off. So today, the biggest difference was Jarrod got on the end to two balls. And let's be fair, I think in the second half, and I’d need to see them again, I think we probably had two or three other big opportunities to finish the game off.
I'm really hoping that it gives Jarred the confidence which he requires because he's been as off-form with his goals as anybody.
And obviously, there's a boy who's made big strides in the last few years with his step up and how we all perceive him, so for him to get two goals today will do his confidence the world of good.
And let’s be fair, he was very close a couple of times to getting a hat-trick today.
I've got to say I thought Nayef played very well today.
I thought it was the best game for us actually, and he is maybe just beginning to get [to his best level] as I saw him jumping and leaping for the ball and heading the ball better and he defended the back post from a couple of corners incredibly well.
His passing, his diagonal passes which he hit out from left to right to Vladi [Coufal] were excellent.
Overall, it’s what we’ve seen, but none of us have really had the chance to see him and let him get used to it.
He’s probably started three or four games for us now and that’s good because I think he’s going to be a really good player for us.
We face teams higher up the table in our next three games and I think that might suit us.
I’m not saying the pressure is off but maybe we can show what we’ve really got and maybe the boys are going to know they’re going to have to play much better with the ball and without the ball as well.
Today I thought we did a really good job defensively and we didn’t give too many opportunities to Everton, but we still need to tidy up.
If we had got the third or fourth goal it would have been a much better outcome for us, but winning 2-0 I’m not complaining at all.
The way respects were paid to David Gold are what football is all about.
I think that we've all probably, whether you’re a supporter, a player or a manager, I think we'll all have been through a period of grief as there has been many people connected to everybody who passed away in the last few years.
For us, losing David Gold was a huge blow. I have to say I thought the crowd were brilliant for him today and paid their respects.
And I have to say, from that sometimes comes new relationships and I'm getting to know his two daughters and I'm getting to know his son in law, who are all part of the Board and the club, so I hope that I'm able to build a relationship with them in the future.
