Julen Lopetegui guided his West Ham United side in paying tribute to Michail Antonio following Monday night’s emotional 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Both Tomáš Souček and captain Jarrod Bowen, the evening’s goal scorers, honored their teammate Antonio, who is recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery on a lower limb fracture sustained in a road traffic accident over the weekend.
Their celebrations were dedicated to Antonio, as were the chants of over 60,000 Hammers fans in the stadium, repeatedly calling out the name of the club’s record Premier League goalscorer.
Head Coach Lopetegui expressed his pride in the team for securing a valuable win in honor of their stricken colleague.
The victory epitomized hard work and a resilient mindset.
Despite the frustration of a goalless first half, Lopetegui’s side took the lead with Souček’s header in the 53rd minute.
However, they faced further challenges, including Mohammed Kudus’ disallowed goal for offside and Matt Doherty’s 69th-minute equalizer.
Yet, parity lasted only three minutes before Bowen’s clinical low strike restored West Ham’s advantage, sealing a significant win.
Lopetegui reflected on the team’s determination and strength during a challenging match.
“I am happy for the players to have the opportunity to dedicate this victory to Mick and his family,” Lopetegui said.
“Mick is a very special player, a special guy. We love him a lot and are very happy we could achieve this for him.
It has been a tough few days for many reasons, but today we’re happy because we secured three crucial points.”
He highlighted the challenges faced during the game, including missed opportunities in the first half and the psychological pressure of conceding a disallowed goal and then an equalizer.
Lopetegui commended his team’s mental fortitude: “After taking the lead, making it 2-0 would have been key.
The disallowed goal and their equalizer were moments that tested our mentality. I’m proud of how the team reacted and showed strength.”
Set-pieces played a pivotal role, with Souček’s goal stemming from a corner. Lopetegui emphasized their significance: “Set-pieces are always key moments in football.
While we scored from a set-piece in the last match but lost, tonight we made it count and secured the win.”
Despite the setback of Wolves’ equalizer, Lopetegui praised his team’s immediate response and Bowen’s decisive goal.
“Jarrod’s goal was very important, and after that, we managed the match well. We deserved the three points and handled the pressure effectively.”
Above all, Lopetegui emphasized the team’s mental resilience, especially in the wake of Antonio’s absence.
“This kind of week can bring doubts, and it’s easy to fear losing.
However, the team’s reaction showed their strong mentality, and that’s encouraging for the future.”
Looking ahead, Lopetegui acknowledged the need to maintain focus and prepare for upcoming challenges.
“We’ll spend the week working hard for the next match.
Bournemouth is a very good team in excellent form.
It’s going to be tough, but we need to be ready to compete and overcome difficulties as a team.”
Lopetegui’s West Ham will approach their next challenge with the same determination that secured their win against Wolves.
As they continue to rally around Antonio, the team’s spirit and resilience will remain key to their success in the Premier League.
