Jarrod Bowen's brace propelled West Ham United to the summit of the Championship with a hard-fought 3-2 victory at Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday night. The win at the Toughsheet Community Stadium was sealed despite another match passing without a first West Ham goal for forward Pablo. nytimes.com first reported the story.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side now sit first in the league with 11 points from six games, having scored 14 goals and conceded nine. Their next challenge is a home fixture against Wrexham on September 11, as they aim to maintain their position. The squad will be without the injured Tomáš Souček and Valentín Castellanos for that match, according to the club's injuries list.
How did West Ham secure the win at Bolton?
West Ham took control early. Jarrod Bowen, who had failed to score in the first three league games of the season, found the net twice to continue his recent hot streak. He had scored in his last three games prior to this fixture. Konstantinos Mavropanos added a third goal for the Hammers, with the assist coming from Arne Engels's well-delivered free kick.
Bolton fought back, but the visitors held on for a important three points. Bowen's commitment was evident when he jumped over the advertising board after scoring the winning goal. Bolton midfielder Josh Sheehan even blocked a potential hat-trick opportunity for Bowen in the 88th minute. The result means West Ham have won three successive games following a 1-1 draw at Watford.
Why is Pablo's goal drought a talking point?
The £20 million signing from Gil Vicente in January was withdrawn in the 66th minute against Bolton, still searching for his first goal in claret and blue. Pablo has now made 21 appearances for West Ham without scoring. His last goal came for Gil Vicente against Arouca on December 28, 2025; he arrived at the London Stadium just four days later.
Against Bolton, he managed one shot on target, which was saved by goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu. This season, across four appearances, he has registered just two shots on target. For context, teammates Piroe and the currently injured Taty Castellanos have a combined eight shots on target. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo remains publicly supportive. "I hope they (the goals) come soon, because look what Pablo does for the team, he’s amazing," Nuno said, as reported by The New York Times. "We believe that the goal is going to come, but he never says no to the hard work."
What has changed in West Ham's recent form?
After the Watford draw eleven days ago, where home fans sang 'You're getting sacked in the morning' towards Nuno, the team's response has been emphatic. This victory at Bolton completed a trio of wins that has lifted the mood and the standings. Jarrod Bowen acknowledged the shift in mentality. "I think we’ve started to take the pressure off our shoulders," Bowen said. "There was a lot of expectation and pressure on us, and of course the first few weeks were a bit of a reality check."
The early season saw inconsistent results. West Ham scored first against Portsmouth, Burnley, Wolves, and Bolton but let a two-goal lead slip against Burnley after Pablo's injury-enforced substitution at half-time. They also failed to win against Charlton and Watford when Pablo did not feature at all. Bowen added that the team now understands the requirement to "earn every single point" in the Championship.
What comes next for the league leaders?
With momentum building, attention turns to maintaining this form. The immediate focus is the upcoming home game against Wrexham, a key opportunity to consolidate their place at the top. Fans can view the full schedule on the club's fixtures page.
The team's current form of three wins, two draws, and one loss shows they are finding ways to win even when not at their fluent best. Sitting top of the Championship with 11 points is a significant early marker. The challenge now is to build on this platform while integrating all attacking options, including Pablo, as they navigate a demanding season. West Ham United host Wrexham at the London Stadium this Friday.
