Hammers up to fourth with 2-0 win over sorry Norwich

West Ham United 2

Norwich City 0

Jarrod Bowen’s fourth and fifth Premier League goals of the season lifted West Ham back into fourth place as West Ham beat a sorry Norwich City side 2-0 at the London Stadium this evening.

The Hammers dominated virtually from start to finish, but could only find the net twice – Bowen’s header shortly before half-time and his tap-in from substitute Arthur Masuaku’s cross seven minutes from time.

But despite the fact the home side were less than ruthless in front of goal for much of the game, it never had the feel of one Norwich may pinch something from.

They are bottom for a reason – and it’s hard to see them escaping the drop on this showing.

The Canaries were toothless, poor on the ball and gave away far too many chances. In fact they appear to have gone backwards since the appointment of Dean Smith.

They have now lost six successive Premier League games - all without scoring a goal and conceding 16 goals in the process.

Bowen had a glorious opportunity to put the Hammers ahead after just two minutes. Played clean through by Manuel Lanzini, his fierce shot from just inside the box almost squirmed under the body of Tim Krul, but the goalkeeper managed to hold on.

Lanzini then skied an effort from outside the box after Nikola Vlasic had pulled the ball back from the left byline, as West Ham made all the early running.

At the other end Norwich were restricted to a speculative Kenny McClean effort from distance in the early exchanges – a shot which flew over the crossbar.

Ben Gibson then made an excellent last-ditch interception as Declan Rice’s searching through-ball made its way towards the well set Lanzini in the area.

Lanzini was, in fact, at the heart of most of the Hammers’ attacking play in the first period.

Midway through the half his chipped pass played in Vladimir Coufal down the right, but when Coufal tried to play Lanzini back in from the resulting cross, the ball was blocked.

Lanzini then hit an effort high over the bar from an Aaron Cresswell pull back, but the Hammers, despite all their possession, were making hard work of it.

Michail Antonio had the ball in the net 10 minutes from half-time but Vlasic had been standing in an offside position in front of Krul as Antonio headed in a cross, and the strike was ruled out for offside.

But the Hammers did take the lead on 42 minutes, Coufal’s inviting cross from the right powered home by the head of Bowen who outjumped all in the Canaries’ defence. The visitors couldn’t say it hadn’t been coming.

The Hammers started the second half exactly where they had finished the first – on the attack. Vlasic’s goal-bound effort deflected by a yellow shirt for a corner.

Then Antonio, until now a peripheral figure, missed a golden chance to make it two. He received the ball in the box from the left wing, turned away from his marker Grant Hanley, but then fired over with the goal at his mercy from less than 10 yards out.

The Hammers missed another glorious chance just before the hour mark when Pablo Fornals, through on Krul’s goal, chipped the ball against the Norwich bar as the goalkeeper bore down on him.

Bowen then saw an effort deflected on to the post – but West Ham couldn’t put Norwich away.

The visitors’ best, and only real chance of the game, came on 67 minutes, when Lukasz Fabianski, making his 300th Premier League appearance, pushed Adam Idah’s long-range shot on to the post.

But the Hammers did finally made it 2-0 seven minutes from time, when Bowen tapped in substitute Masuaku’s cross from the left – a goal confirmed on VAR, and the Champions League remains in sight for the east Londoners.

Teams:

West Ham: Fabianski, Cresswell, Coufal, Fornals, Antonio (Yarmolenko, 88), Lanzini, Vlasic (Masuaku, 78), Dawson, Bowen, Diop, Rice

Norwich: Krul, Aarons, Gibson, Hanley, Placheta (Dowell, 65), Rashica (Tzolis, 71), Lees-Melou, Williams, Pukki, McLean, Idah (Rowe, 76).

Referee: Simon Hooper