adminTomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen agree about West Ham hero after ‘incredible’ Everton victory
Jarrod Bowen admitted it was “pure relief” after Callum Wilson’s 92nd-minute winner secured a crucial, potentially season-changing 2-1 victory for West Ham United against Everton at the London Stadium.
The Hammers thought they had thrown it all away when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall fired a stunning volley past Mads Hermansen in the 88th minute. That near-collapse only made the eventual triumph taste sweeter, as Wilson reacted quickest to Bowen’s knockdown to spark a rarely seen explosion of emotion in the London Stadium era.
On paper, hosting Everton looked like one of West Ham’s more “winnable” fixtures. Dropping more points—on top of the 19 they’ve already squandered this season—would have dealt a heavy blow to their hopes, even if not a fatal one.
“We knew how big this game was, and we went all out for it, with the fans right behind us,” said Tomáš Souček, who opened the scoring and was still on the pitch when Wilson struck in stoppage time.
“Obviously, we were thrilled to score first, but then the equaliser made it tough. We kept pushing, though, and the fans stayed with us. That’s why we got the second. The stadium erupted—and that’s exactly what we need right now.
“My goal felt great, but we knew there was still half an hour or more to play. But when Callum scored, we knew we’d win. We were a bit gutted after they equalised, but we hit back straight away.”
Souček also praised Wilson’s impact, noting that the veteran has now scored six Premier League goals from just ten starts—a record that has sparked calls for a bigger role despite his age.
“The noise, the atmosphere, the emotion—it was all incredibly intense,” Souček added. “I’m so happy for Callum, for the fans, and for the whole team because the effort was the same as last week.
“We’re just enjoying our football and our results. Everything is still in our hands, and that’s huge. We want to keep it that way until the end.
“Callum is a key player—he shows it every day in training. Today he saved us another two points. I have huge respect for what he’s doing for this club.”
Bowen, who set up both goals—a pinpoint corner for Souček and a powerful back-post header for Wilson—was full of praise for his side’s resilience.
“It was a massive game, a tough game, on a boiling hot day,” the captain said. “To take the lead, then drop points, and then come back and win… incredible.
“I think most people in the stadium didn’t see that winner coming, but that’s what Callum does. He senses a chance out of nothing. He’s a credit to himself and has proven his quality in the Premier League.
“For the winner, I was trying to get to the back post, but I was probably too wide to head it toward goal. So I just tried to knock it back across—you never know who might be there. When the ball fell to Callum, it felt like slow motion.
“When it went in, all I felt was pure relief.”
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