Bowen brace sinks Canaries

UP to fourth go West Ham, with Jarrod Bowen looking like a player who can do no wrong. Bottom of the Premier League remain Norwich, who can’t do anything right. You know you’re in trouble when your 6ft 1in centre-back is beaten in the air by a 5ft 9in forward but then we must credit Bowen for his movement. He nipped in front of Ben Gibson, who stood and watched as Vladimir Coufal’s cross was headed home. Later he tapped in for 2-0. He might have had more, too, had VAR not disallowed another and the woodwork denied him twice. Manager David Moyes said: ‘His allround play is improving. He has been great for us.’ For a Norwich side minus injured Billy Gilmour, this was a sixth straight league defeat without scoring. They struggled to worry a Hammers team missing several big names due to Covid and injuries. Less than two minutes in, Tim Krul stopped Bowen from handing West Ham the lead. West Ham might have had a penalty in the 25th minute when Krul fell backwards into his goal. He claimed Nikola Vlasic backed into him illegally from a corner. If anything, Krul was the aggressor and fortunate VAR John Brooks didn’t advise referee Simon

Hooper to check his pitchside monitor. West Ham had the ball in the the net before half-time — Bowen’s cross flying in the box into Krul’s goal. There was no flag so the players celebrated. Then, after a bizarre delay, it was raised. Offside, but VAR checked it. Replays showed Vlasic, and possibly Issa Diop, behind the Norwich back line. It didn’t look as if they got a touch but it was decided they did interfere. There was nothing controversial about the next effort crossing the line. Apart from the fact it was a header by one of the smallest players on the pitch, Bowen getting ahead of Gibson to nod home. Bowen struck the bar as he chipped Krul and also hit the post after an hour. However, he sealed victory with seven minutes left by tapping in Arthur Masuaku’s cross.