February 09, (THEWILL) –Â Jarrod Bowen’s sixth goal of the season gave West Ham a 1-0 win over Watford at London Stadium, boosting their chances of finishing in the top four.
In the first half, the Hammers had chances to break the deadlock through Tomas Soucek and Said Benrahma, but they were unable to break down a visiting defence drawn up stoically by Roy Hodgson.
In a game filled with errors, Watford were more than a match for West Ham, but the home side eventually scored their winner with little over 20 minutes remaining when Bowen’s shot was deflected beyond the stranded Ben Foster.
Kurt Zouma, who was seen in a horrible video physically beating his cat, had dominated the headlines leading up to the game, but he was a surprise starter in east London despite an ongoing inquiry into his behaviour.
The build-up focused on Isla Caton, an inspirational seven-year-old West Ham supporter who just passed away after a long battle with cancer. In her honour, a minute of applause was conducted, and players wore pink armbands as a memorial.
In the first 45 minutes, the game lacked any real rhythm or fluency, as Hodgson’s well-organized Watford made it difficult for West Ham to demonstrate their attacking flair.
Following an unusual blunder from Declan Rice, the Hornets had the first chance of the game and should have taken the lead after fantastic counter-attacking effort from Hassane Kamara. Despite peeling off Aaron Cresswell at the back post, Juraj Kucka was unable to convert his perfect cross.
Although West Ham will believe they should have taken the lead before the break, Watford had the better of a low-quality first half. Soucek headed over an in-swinging corner from six yards out, before Foster denied Benrahma at close range, with the Algerian’s follow-up smashing off the post before being cleared to safety.
West Ham’s introduction of Manuel Lanzini in place of Benrahma proved to be a turning point, with David Moyes’ team eventually finding their feet.
The Argentine provided the assist for Bowen’s goal, slipping a slide rule ball through the middle of Watford’s midfield for the 25-year-old to turn on, but the finish was a major stroke of luck as Samir deflected Bowen’s shot beyond Foster, who was caught off guard.
Soon after, Tom Cleverley stung Lukasz Fabianski’s gloves with a fantastic long-range strike, before Bowen fired against the woodwork late on thanks to a fantastic fingertip save from Foster.
For the first time as Watford manager, Hodgson has tasted defeat, but he has unquestionably made his side difficult to beat. The Hornets would have had a share of the points if it had not been for a lucky deflection. If Hodgson’s side wants to avoid relegation, they must improve in the final third.
The Hammers are back in action on Sunday, when they travel to Leicester, while Watford host Brighton on Saturday.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
