Facing the incompetence of Wolves' defense, West Ham's mediocre performance was insufficient to bring an end to Julen Lopetegui's unhappy tenure. Instead, it is likely that Gary O'Neil will be searching for a new job after his team was defeated by avoidable goals from Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen. Wolves, who hold the worst defensive record in the top flight, were on course for a draw when Matt Doherty equalized. Their inability to defend is the reason they are in trouble, allowing West Ham to secure the victory for Michail Antonio.
This match was inevitably charged with heightened emotions following the horror of Antonio's car crash on Saturday. Although the forward survived, fans are left wondering if he will ever play again after undergoing surgery for a broken leg. It was difficult to gauge whether the shock would affect West Ham's focus. Football seemed secondary at the start, with doubts over Lopetegui and O'Neil becoming irrelevant in the broader context. For West Ham, the absence of their Premier League record goalscorer loomed large over everything.
Tributes were paid before kick-off, with players warming up in training tops bearing their injured teammate's name. It was unsettling to contemplate a future without an attack centered around Antonio's powerful frame. His lung-busting runs have been a constant since joining from Nottingham Forest in 2015. Supporters admire Antonio's work ethic, and West Ham missed his presence during a lethargic first half. Having given Lopetegui one more game to save his job after last week's defeat at Leicester, there were few signs of an identity developing under the Spaniard.
The football was too slow in the final third, the patterns too predictable, and Wolves were not placed under severe pressure before half-time. There was encouragement for O'Neil in his side's shape and discipline. Jarrod Bowen faced three center-backs, and West Ham struggled to utilize their captain's pace. Wolves sat in a low block, and when there was an opening for the hosts, Crysencio Summerville's deft pass found Carlos Soler's untracked run, but Rayan Aït-Nouri blocked the midfielder's goalbound shot.
It was a rare moment of excitement. West Ham played in spurts, sudden bursts occasionally making Wolves wobble. Bowen tested Sam Johnstone, who also pushed a shot from Mohammed Kudus away, and Konstantinos Mavropanos missed a close-range chance. Caution gripped Wolves after their 4-0 defeat to Everton. However, there were times when they stretched West Ham. Matheus Cunha always wanted the ball, and Wolves should have led when Jørgen Strand Larsen's sweeping pass sent Matt Doherty beyond Emerson Palmieri on the right. The wing-back had time to deliver, and his cross should have been converted, only for João Gomes to fire wide at the far post.
Wolves seemed short of conviction when they entered promising areas. Short of incision up front, the reliance on Cunha was a heavy burden for the Brazilian, and the possibility of a slip at the other end lingered. So it proved when Aaron Wan-Bissaka won a corner for West Ham after a slow start to the second half. Bowen's delivery was deep, and the defending was impossibly weak. Soucek, left all alone, had as much time as he liked to loop a header into the far corner. The Wolves defenders more or less stood and watched as the midfielder's clever effort dropped over the line.
Such naivety is why the walls are closing in on O'Neil. It was his side's fifth successive concession from a set-piece and it rocked their confidence. West Ham, playing with renewed zest, were soon denied a second when Kudus was deemed offside after converting Bowen's cutback. Wolves spied a reprieve. O'Neil made positive changes, the introduction of Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Gonçalo Guedes altering the flow. Wolves were incandescent not to have a penalty when Emerson caught Guedes, who was through on goal.
O'Neil was still complaining when Wolves scored with their next attack. Guedes was involved again, popping up on the left and finding Aït-Nouri's overlapping run. One wing-back delivered and another arrived, Doherty capitalizing on meek West Ham defending by charging in to hammer a volley past Lukasz Fabianski. If only Wolves could have made more of that bolt of joy. Two minutes later, West Ham pressed them back at another set-piece and Kudus found Bowen. The forward twisted past a weak challenge from Guedes, burrowed into the area, and shaped a beautiful shot beyond Johnstone.
Bowen had called Antonio a 'warrior and a fighter'. He ran behind the goal and pulled out a shirt in honor of the striker. West Ham held on despite late chances for Mario Lemina and Tommy Doyle. O'Neil knew it was not going to be his night when another penalty appeal was dismissed.
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