Lingard puts Hammers in sight of Europe
For all the focus on Jesse Lingard’s impressive rebirth at West Ham United, perhaps it should be asked why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer failed to get the best out of him.
Lingard was given the deepfreeze treatment at Manchester United, but has proven over the past two months that he remains an outstanding Premier League performer, giving West Ham renewed hope of a return to Europe, even without the injured Declan Rice.
No player has been involved in more league goals than Lingard since the start of February, with six strikes and three assists, and this was another excellent display from the United loanee.
How Solskjaer struggled to find a role for the England international at Old Trafford is difficult to fathom, but West Ham are reaping the benefits. This hard-fought victory against a depleted Wolves lifted them into fourth place and Champions League contention, with Lingard’s hopes of involvement at the Euros remaining very much alive.
A shimmering menace in a free role in front of the midfield, he was sensational in the first half.
“I have not played much in the last two years, so to play week in, week out is good. The team help me,” Lingard said. “It is about maintaining and keeping focus. We have tough fixtures, but the lads are ready. There is always room for improvement. It is a great victory, and we take the positives.”
The injury to Rice is untimely, yet will barely merit a mention in the review of this seventh away win of the season; West Ham’s first league double over Wolves since the 1922/23 campaign. It was the 4-0 win over Wolves which sparked West Ham’s season into life in September, and their elevation to the top four never looked in doubt here.
“Nobody would have envisaged or mentioned us having a chance of the Champions League last season,” manager David Moyes said. “Can we keep it going? We are going to try and compete with the big teams right until the end.”
West Ham’s confidence and momentum was evident from the start, with Lingard and Michail Antonio frequently dragging the Wolves centre-backs out of position.
Rui Patricio had already pushed Antonio’s shot onto a post before West Ham took a sixth-minute lead with a wonderful solo goal from Lingard. Picking up the ball from just inside his own half, Lingard advanced and with Antonio drawing Conor Coady away from goal, was allowed to run unopposed into the area before placing his shot past the Wolves goalkeeper.
Wolves were struggling to repel the pressure, failing to react quickly to danger, and a second goal was inevitable, with Pablo Fornals finding the corner after another fine piece of skill from Lingard.
Nuno Espirito Santo appeared stunned in his technical area, and the Wolves manager must be wondering what will go wrong next.
Wolves are already without talismanic striker Raul Jimenez and have suffered further misfortune with the loss of Jonny, the Spain international, until the end of the year with a knee injury.
West Ham added a third goal shortly before half-time, recovering quickly from the withdrawal of Antonio with a hamstring issue as his replacement, Jarrod Bowen, arrowed in a shot after Lingard had been allowed to run from inside his own half and drift past four challenges.
Wolves produced a goal out of nowhere a minute before half-time, after a brilliant run from Adama Traore, with the winger’s cross headed home by Leander Dendoncker. Substitute Fabio Silva reduced the deficit in the 68th minute with a fine finish across Lukasz Fabianski.
Dendoncker skied a shot from a decent position, and for the first time West Ham were wobbling. There was to be no dramatic finish, though, and Wolves must be desperate for the season to end.
“All the good things we did in attack were taken away by our defending, of course I was angry,” Nuno admitted. “The goals were avoidable, and we have to find solutions. When you don’t have the same players, everything is not the same, and it becomes harder.”
Wolves (4-2-3-1) Patricio 6; Semedo 6, Coady 6, Saiss 5, Ait-nouri 6 (Hoever 90); Dendoncker 6, Neves 6; Neto 7, Podence 6 (Silva 45), Traore 6; Willian Jose 4 (Vitinha 72). Subs Ruddy (g), Gibbs-white, Richards, Kilman, Otasowie, Marques. Booked Neves.
West Ham (4-2-3-1) Fabianski 6; Coufal 7, Dawson 7, Diop 6, Cresswell 7; Soucek 7, Noble 7; Fornals 7 (Benrahma 78), Lingard 8, Masuaku 6 (Johnson 67); Antonio 7 (Bowen 36). Subs Martin (g), Trott (g), Balbuena, Alves, Fredericks, Odubeko. Booked Dawson, Diop, Soucek, Lingard.
Referee Michael Oliver (Northumberland).