By SCM Correspondent, at the London Stadium
WEST HAM proved they are far from “down and out” as they blitzed a shell-shocked Sunderland with a first-half masterclass to ignite their Premier League survival bid. The Hammers, revitalized under Nuno Espírito Santo, secured a 3-1 victory that felt more like a statement.
While the sun shone over East London, it was the stars on the pitch—led by the irrepressible Jarrod Bowen and a flying Crysencio Summerville—who truly dazzle
The party started early in the 14th minute. Bowen, proving why he’s the first name on the team sheet, skinning Reinildo Mandava on the right before hanging up a delicious cross. Summerville, despite being one of the smallest men on the pitch, rose like a skyscraper to power a header past Robin Roefs.
It was his third goal in as many games, and the “Dutch Dynamo” is quickly becoming the heartbeat of this West Ham escape act.
Bowen’s Record Breaker
But the afternoon belonged to history.
In the 28th minute, young Ollie Scarles was hauled down in the box by Trai Hume. Up stepped Captain Reliable. Jarrod Bowen didn’t just smash the penalty into the bottom corner; he smashed the record books.
With that strike, Bowen reached 103 direct Premier League goal involvements, officially overtaking Michail Antonio as West Ham’s most productive player in the competition’s history.
From non-league to a Hammers legend—Bowen is the star that keeps on shining.
Fernandes from the Gods
If the first two goals were about clinical execution, the third was pure magic. Just before the break, Mateus Fernandes picked up a loose ball 25 yards out.
The Portuguese starlet unleashed a thunderbolt that screamed into the top corner, leaving Roefs clutching at thin air.
Ally McCoist called it a “goal from the Gods,” and it capped a performance from Fernandes that was nothing short of a midfield masterclass.
Sunderland, sorely missing the steel of the injured Granit Xhaka, looked a shadow of the side that has flirted with the European spots.
While Brian Brobbey grabbed a consolation header in the 66th minute, the Black Cats were already well and truly tamed.
The result moves West Ham to within two points of safety.
On this evidence, with Bowen and Summerville in this kind of form, the Great Escape is officially ON.
