West Ham produced the performance of the season to-date in emphatic style as we overcame Ipswich 4-1 at the London Stadium.

That was the response that was needed. After a difficult run of results and being knocked out of the EFL Cup comprehensively by Liverpool, new manager Julen Lopetegui was able to ease some of the pressure on his job with a 4-1 drubbing of Ipswich Town.

This was helped, in no small part, by an outstanding performance from Jarrod Bowen, who added a goal and assist to his season’s tally in spectacular fashion.

A FAST START

The Hammers got off to a great start, with Michail Antonio getting on the scoresheet with a clinical finish after less than a minute.

Former West Ham loanee Kalvin Phillips had given the ball away cheaply in midfield which allowed Bowen free down the right-hand side to deliver a low driven pass into the path of Antonio, who dispatched the shot past Arijanet Murić.

However, as has often been the case this season, the Irons defence succumbed far too easily to some early pressure from Ipswich.

Following the visitors’ first corner of the game, Liam Delap was able to equalise with a driven strike that Alphonse Areola really should have saved at his near post, having got a full hand on the shot.

With the score at one apiece, the Hammers looked to capitalise on their control of the game, with Mohammed Kudus striking the post from a header after an expertly delivered ball by Antonio found him at the back post.

Out of possession however, it felt as if West Ham’s midfield was too static in the first half, with Guido Rodríguez and Tomáš Souček allowing Omari Hutchinson to turn and shift the ball wide from the number 10 position, which had the potential to cause problems.

Luckily, full home debutant Jean-Clair Todibo had an outstanding game, cutting out passes into the channels on multiple occasions and managing to overpower Delap and the Tractor Boys’ new winger, Jack Clarke.

AHEAD AT THE BREAK

It soon became clear that Ipswich would struggle to deal with a high press from West Ham, as opposition captain Sam Morsy gave the ball away carelessly in the box while under pressure, affording Souček a clear sight at goal.

Unfortunately, Dara O’Shea was able to clear off the line. 

The game really shifted in the Hammers’ favour after this, as an excellent headed attempt from Antonio allowed Kudus to gobble up the rebound after the initial effort had struck the bar.

Going into the break with a 2-1 lead, it was clear that sustained pressure and strong work rate would cause Ipswich to unravel.

SECOND HALF DOMINANCE

This proved to be the case in the second half, as a tireless press from Antonio led to Murić ceding possession to Bowen outside the area.

The Irons’ star man managed to control the loose ball, cut inside Phillips and bury the chance into the far-left corner emphatically. This was a brilliant effort that really epitomised Bowen’s performance on the day.

Ipswich were architects of their own downfall in the second half, as they constantly gave possession away to the Hammers.

This was made especially easy after Souček and Rodríguez tightened their press in the middle and gave the Ipswich centre midfielders no time on the ball, allowing West Ham to regain possession seamlessly.

With about 20 minutes to play, a perfectly placed Bowen cross found Lucas Paquetá at the back post, who was able to slot home from close range to make the scoreline even more comfortable.

Apart from one excellent save from Areola getting down low to his right, it was smooth sailing for West Ham in the second period, and the side closed out the game with little bother.

FULL TIME THOUGHT

After a rocky start, this felt like a statement victory for Lopetegui. 4-1, 9 big chances created and 3.27xG to Ipswich’s 0.66, this was a win that will have eased the nerves of some worrisome supporters and proven that Lopetegui’s setup has the potential to dispatch weaker sides.

Now this confidence must be taken forward so West Ham can capitalise on another struggling side in Manchester United when the Irons face them in a fortnight’s time.

Written by Samuel Lawn (@_technicalarea)