What changed as West Ham finally clicked? Is this just the 'beginning' under Lopetegui?

Four different goalscorers, four different celebrations — and it was Jarrod Bowen’s which seemed most significant.

The West Ham United captain, Michail Antonio, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta scored in the 4-1 home victory against Ipswich Town. Antonio was embraced by his team-mates, Kudus did his trademark stool celebration, and Lucas Paqueta opted for a boot-cleaning effort with Bowen (below). But the England forward’s ‘talking’ gesture celebration seemed to be in response to the criticism the team has faced this season.

Prior to facing Ipswich, head coach Julen Lopetegui’s future was in the spotlight with West Ham winless in their previous five matches. The quartet of Kudus, Bowen, Antonio and Kudus had only scored three goals between them. The team were struggling to perform to their full potential. But this was an afternoon where Lopetegui and supporters were treated to a splurge of goals.

All of Lopetegui’s methods belatedly clicked: West Ham were good with and without possession and played with intensity. In truth, they should have subjected Ipswich’s defence to further embarrassment, with Kudus being their chief tormentor. Lopetegui’s frank exchange of words with the Ghana international at half-time against Brentford had the desired effect. The attacker, who had not scored since May, had a point to prove and his impact was unmistakable.

Before opening his account for the season, Kudus’ header hit the post. But one of the loudest cheers came when he wheeled away in delight, picked up a stool and sat down with purpose. West Ham’s attack is far richer with him at his best. Paqueta scored his first goal since the season opener against Aston Villa. In keeping with his four goals against Norwich City in 2020, Antonio showed he is still able to dominate teams from East Anglia. The forward was back to his menacing best, tiring the opposition defence with his pace, and was deservedly applauded off the field.

Although Bowen was left out of Lee Carsley’s England squad, the winger responded to the disappointment with a performance of flair and fluency. Lopetegui will have observed that Bowen is not your quintessential loud captain. He is a quiet leader who prefers to do his talking on the pitch.

“We have worked for this,” said Lopetegui. “All our forwards scored, but our defensive work also pleased me. It was a good response from Jarrod. The best way to show your disappointment as a player is like this. He knows that. He is always ready to help the team, always ready to work hard, and that’s why he is a very good player.”

So what changed from the 1-1 draw against Brentford?

West Ham were potent offensively and although the caveat is they faced a promoted side, Ipswich have earned draws against Fulham, Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa. In fact, this was their first league defeat since August against Manchester City. The opposition showed glimpses of their attacking potential, with Liam Delap impressing up front. But West Ham’s alertness, intelligence in possession and high-pressing tempo were a strong feature.

Lopetegui often conceals his emotions on the touchline, but the euphoria seeped through when his side established a three-goal advantage. Teams have capitalised on West Ham’s lack of urgency in recent weeks. Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer did in Chelsea’s 3-0 win, with Bryan Mbeumo doing similar for Brentford, having scored after 37 seconds. But against Ipswich, it was West Ham’s turn to score inside the first minute, courtesy of Antonio.

As Bowen advances, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is determined to make an overlapping run. Paqueta also shows desire to get further forward and Kudus makes it an attacking line of five, with Antonio perfectly positioned in Ipswich’s defensive line to score from the resulting cross.

Lopetegui’s gameplan had worked.

Antonio gets our first of four ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/CF836VIz5M

— West Ham United (@WestHam) October 5, 2024

Kudus, Antonio, Bowen and Paqueta’s offensive efficiency markedly improved against Ipswich.

It is in huge contrast to how they played against Brentford…

Remember when teams exploited the space West Ham left in midfield? Well, on Saturday, the tables turned. Paqueta is in acres of space before he surges into the box.

He remains unchallenged before scoring a tap-in to finish. The Brazilian playmaker has struggled with consistency — and has an FA charge for alleged betting breaches hanging over him — but his performance was a step in the right direction.

“We played well and now we need to stay this way,” Emerson Palmieri told The Athletic.

“We played with high intensity, pressed well and had good possession of the ball. We were also good without the ball as well for 90 minutes. It’s good (that all four front players scored) for their confidence and they played well. Jarrod was unbelievable today. It’s normal that all our attacking players want to score. They are top players, sometimes you can’t impact every game but they have the quality to do so in every match.

A view of Lucas’ goal from the Bobby Moore lower 👀 pic.twitter.com/qa9ownI5qG

— West Ham United (@WestHam) October 5, 2024

“You can see that sometimes they are frustrated when they can’t, but they help set the tone with the high press. We’re happy for them because they helped us. Everyone is aware of their strengths and it’s not easy to train against them.

“Now we have to take this opportunity to improve — and that includes myself. Since the first day with the new manager, we’ve always tried to do everything well. When you don’t win, sometimes people say wrong things. But this is just the beginning. Our confidence is high and, ideally, we would like to play again (soon). But we can use the international break to improve in other areas to come back stronger.”

(Top photo: Alex Broadway/Getty Images)