David Moyes hopes this is a sign of things to come for Jarrod Bowen. So will Gareth Southgate.
The striker had gone five games without scoring before this match, a barren streak that coincided with a sequence of eight without a win for West Ham and which left the future of coach David Moyes shrouded in uncertainty.
But Bowen is back: his hat-trick here at the London Stadium eases the pressure on his boss.
How grateful Moyes must be that Bowen answered his call when he needed him on what could have turned into an unpleasant night.
You can bet your bottom dollar that England manager Southgate noticed too.
Jarrod Bowen scored the first hat-trick of his career to help West Ham beat Brentford.
The result eases the pressure on David Moyes after West Ham ended an eight-match winless run.
Bowen’s hat-trick takes him to 17 goals this season and gives his England hopes a boost
It’s now 17 for the season for Bowen. It’s an impressive return, which should propel him to his first senior international tournament.
Southgate names his squad for friendlies against Brazil and Belgium on March 14, his last selection before naming a final 23-man contingent for Euro 2024.
Having missed out on England’s World Cup squad in 2022, Bowen is surely a serious contender to catch the plane to Germany.
His efforts here helped placate sections of a disillusioned fan base who feared they might turn against Moyes if the game had not turned in their favour.
The prospect of toxicity here at the London Stadium was tangible. The protests by his supporters against Moyes have provided an uncomfortable panorama.
Tonight, however, it was Moyes’s. And Bowen, of course.
If ever there was an ad to not be late to a football game, this was it. Three goals in the first 13 minutes and an investigation on the field to boot.
West Ham took a two-goal lead in seven minutes. Both goals were scored by the electric Bowen, although both resulted from a loss of possession by Brentford in midfield.
The English international’s first, in the sixth minute, a powerful shot that went past Mark Flekken’s near post after a cutback by Emerson from the left.
His second, a minute later, was almost a copy, but this time Vladimir Coufal scored from the opposite flank after Zanka lost possession.
As the crowd erupted, Brentford captain Christian Norgaard quickly ushered his colleagues in for an impromptu debrief.
In the midst of the chaos, Ivan Toney gestured to his teammates to calm down. Needless to say, there was nothing calm about this situation for Brentford, whose fears of being dragged into a relegation fight will not have been helped by their atrocious start or the news that Everton’s points deduction was reduced to six earlier that day.
A stone-faced Moyes briefly gave a thumbs up before crossing his arms again. The Scot hasn’t had much to smile about in recent weeks, but finally a break.
Surely he could crack a smile after his team’s excellent start? Perhaps he knew what was coming when Brentford responded.
Neal Maupay’s shot beyond Alphonse Areola was clinical, but his goal was largely down to the split passing of Keane Lewis-Potter’s defence.
It was exactly what the doctor ordered for Thomas Frank’s team after a poor start.
For West Ham, another reminder of the defensive weaknesses that have plagued their season; Only Newcastle had conceded more goals from the entire team in the top 10 heading into this clash.
Finally the match found balance, although Lucas Paqueta shot narrowly wide after a deep cross from Mohamed Kudus in the 21st minute.
Paqueta’s return to fitness comes as a timely boost for the Hammers, whose season has collapsed without their brilliant Brazilian.
It will take some time for the 26-year-old to regain his rhythm after two months out with a knee injury. There were clear signs of ring rust in his first appearance since early January.
Still, West Ham clearly benefited from his presence here on Monday night.
The second half began in controversial circumstances when Hammers assistant coach Kevin Nolan and Brentford defender Zanka emerged from the tunnel engaged in a heated confrontation which resulted in both sides breaking up.
And for a while during the opening exchanges of the second half, Brentford, who lost centre-back Ben Mee to injury in the 61st minute, looked more likely to score in their quest for an equaliser.
But the Bees had no answer to Bowen’s brilliance; The striker’s third came in the 63rd minute: a close-range header from a Kudus cross after terrible marking by Brentford.
The bad blood between both teams in the technical areas continued, once again Nolan seemed to be at the center of it all, visibly angry as Frank ordered his Bees colleagues to calm down.
But West Ham, and Nolan, were next to laugh as West Ham scored a fourth thanks to Emerson’s emphatic shot from outside the area that flew past Flekken into the top corner.
Yoane Wissa scored a last second for Brentford, but his game was already on top at that point.
