Captain Jarrod Bowen was honest in his assessment of West Ham United’s start to the fresh Premier League campaign following Friday night’s heavy defeat at home to Chelsea.
The Hammers, who were beaten away at Sunderland in their 2025/26 opener last weekend, burst out of the blocks against the Blues, with Lucas Paquetá’s stunning strike putting them ahead inside six minutes.
But João Pedro headed the visitors level by the quarter-hour mark, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernández made it 3-1 before the break and then Moisés Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah put gloss on the scoreline for Enzo Maresca’s men in the second half.
Bowen led attempts to wrestle some positives from the game towards the end, but it was too little, too late, and the England international stressed the importance of everyone taking accountability for another below-par display.
“I’m angry and disappointed - all the emotions that come with having conceded eight goals in two games and not picked up a point yet,” he said.
“I think we got ourselves in a really good position at 1-0, but then we just let in some really cheap goals. We gifted them goals really, and you can’t do that against any opposition. We learnt that at Sunderland last week, and then we’ve done it again tonight.
“They got a goal after we went ahead, and then we had one disallowed. Then they go 2-1 up, but there’s a long way still to go, so we have to know that we’re still in the game, and stay in the game, which we didn’t do.
“This is the Premier League, and you’re going to be under pressure and be able to play at different points, but when you concede five the whole thing goes out the window.
“I think everyone’s got to look at themselves in the mirror and be really honest with themselves. We need to have some honest conversations with ourselves and with the group, which we will be having.
“It’s collective responsibility, because we’re all out there on the pitch. You can have a plan, but we didn’t do the basics well enough and it’s in all areas of the pitch. We all have to take responsibility for where we are right now.
“Myself as captain, I’m fuming with how the first couple of weeks have gone. I share the responsibility, and now it’s down to me to try and help get a reaction out of the players.”
A Tuesday night visit to Molineux to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in the second round of the Carabao Cup provides West Ham with an opportunity to show a quick reaction, and Bowen insists the group will be fully focused on turning things around as soon as possible.
A trip to Nottingham Forest then follows back in the Premier League on Sunday 31 August, ahead of the first international break of term at the start of September.
Bowen added: “We have to show a reaction. I know that, and we all know that.
“We have to face the music, and we have to be brave to deal with that. Ultimately, we have to look at ourselves and put it right on the pitch. That’s what counts, and that's how things are going to change.
“We have a cup game on Tuesday night, and our full focus will be on that now. There’s an opportunity to go on a cup run, which you always look forward to, and then after that we’ll want to get some points on the board at Forest.
“It’s up to us to turn it around and we’ll all do our best to make sure we do that.”
