A destructive tendency to switch off when crosses come swinging in. And, perhaps even more concerningly, a bright start giving way to a rapid disintegration and a heavy defeat. After Sunderland scored three times in 31 minutes at the Stadium of Light, Chelsea rattled in five in 43 at the London Stadium.<\/p>\n
For captain Bowen, the frustration is made even more acute by what could have been. <\/p>\n
The skipper saw Lucas Paqueta<\/a> thump the hosts in front against Chelsea after Nayef Aguerd<\/a> \u2013 stepping into midfield \u2013 made the sort of high-pressing interception the Hammers have spent plenty of time on the training pitch trying to perfect.<\/p>\n Paqueta\u2019s seventh minute screamer will now go down as one of the greatest meaningless goals in modern Premier League history. <\/p>\n A swerving, fizzing strike which left Robert Sanchez in the Chelsea net bamboozled. Not a night for the goalkeepers, that\u2019s for sure.<\/p>\n While El Hadji Malick Diouf will claim an assist, it was Aguerd who tracked Estevao into the Chelsea half and intercepted a loose touch. <\/p>\n \u201cYou look at basics. You know, you get yourself in a great position in the game. The first goal, I think it came [after] Nayef stepped in and pressed,\u201d Bowen says. \u201cAnd we\u2019ve got to press really well.\u201d<\/p>\n Bowen baffled by West Ham collapse in 5-1 Chelsea loss<\/p>\n Unfortunately, that was one of very few times West Ham\u2019s high-pressing worked as planned. Max Kilman, in particular, was guilty of darting out of defence on a few occasions and leaving himself mired in no-man\u2019s land.<\/p>\n As Aguerd again followed Estevao into midfield, Kilman chased out Liam Delap. But, pinned by the broad-shouldered Chelsea striker, both Aguerd and his central defensive partner were taken out of the game by a clever flick-on and an Estevao burst before Enzo Fernandez tapped home the visitors\u2019 third.<\/p>\n There was still plenty of time to fight back at that point, however. <\/p>\n \u201cIn those difficult moments, you\u2019ve just got to know that you are still in the games. Stay in the game! This is the Premier League, you are going to have those moments when you are under pressure but you\u2019re going to have those moments where you are going to have to play as well,\u201d Bowen demands.<\/p>\n “I’ve got to do better, we have to do better.” <\/p>\n Graham Potter says everyone has to do better as a collective at West Ham \u2692\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/vR3wXUr019<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Jarrod](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2230664047-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Charlotte Wilson\/Offside\/Offside via Getty ImagesJarrod Bowen praises Nayef Aguerd role in Lucas Paqueta\u2019s West Ham United stunner<\/p>\n