Following West Ham’s 3-2 defeat to Leeds, the overriding emotion within the Hammers camp was one of frustration. David Moyes cut an exasperated figure on the sidelines for all three of the visitors’ goals. In particular, the second, which the Hammers uncharacteristically conceded from a corner with Luke Ayling getting a free header to set up the unmarked Jack Harrison. Moyes was bemused that Bowen used his chest instead of his head but added the caveat that he has been one of West Ham’s top performers this season and that his team should never have been 3-2 down in the first place.
David Moyes said: “I can’t see why he would not head it instead of chest it in. But Jarrod scored a great goal today and has done a lot of good things for us and it happens. We should not have been in that position in the first place but for lots of different reasons we were.”
Rice agreed with his manager on both fronts.
Declan Rice said: “Jarrod’s one at the end, I thought he was going to go with his head, but we can’t say anything to Jarrod because he’s been absolutely brilliant for us with the goals he’s putting in and his assists. [The result] is very frustrating. It was an opportunity to really push up in the table and get three points off Chelsea in second, so it’s an opportunity missed today, and a big one as well.”
Pablo Fornals had equalised for West Ham shortly after the break with a fine finish, his first goal in over two months, and was equally frustrated with the final result.
Pablo Fornals said: “It feels like a big opportunity missed, 100 per cent. It was tough today – we came back twice in the game, so we were disappointed [to concede a third]. We tried to the end, this is why we are here because we fight to the end. We had many chances today but we didn’t get any points. It’s not what we want, to concede three goals in a game, and not what we’ve been doing. It happened on Sunday and we will work on that, to start again with the clean sheets.”
Next up for the Hammers is a trip to Old Trafford and Fornals said his team will be determined to bounce back next weekend.
Pablo Fornals added: “It’s all in our hands, all in our mentality. We want to continue how we have been doing, and it doesn’t matter who the next game is against, we are going to fight and try to get the three points.”
