Paquetá and Bowen ease pressure on Lopetegui as West Ham thrash Ipswich | first division

At some point, teams must win or coaches whose fate ruthlessly depends on results will pay the price. For different reasons, this match was considered of great importance for Julen Lopetegui and Kieran McKenna.

Tasked with igniting a semblance of excitement often lacking in these places over recent seasons – even in moments of success – Lopetegui's embryonic reign had already threatened to turn bitter after suffering an unprecedented three home league defeats to begin his first campaign in charge.

His counterpart McKenna has plenty of well-earned goodwill from successive promotions, which should ensure that any knife thrown his way is ineffectively blunted. But he knows brave points from a multitude of early-season draws will not make Ipswich's return to the top flight a prolonged one.

This tough defeat keeps them hovering dangerously above the relegation zone as one of four teams yet to win a game. In particular, the terrible second half performance will cause concern.

For their opponents (and their supporters, who spent much of a largely even first period in worried torpor), the three-point haul provides a sense of optimism ahead of the second international break.

Picking up wins is easy enough when facing a defense as porous as Suffolk's, but perhaps the Lopetegui era provides more joy than was prematurely feared.

“We are happy, for sure. When you win you are happy,” he said. “The fans deserve to see the team win a game at home. And for the players because they are working very hard against a good team. “We did very well.”

As McKenna – who also duly pointed out the futility of such an argument – ​​highlighted, there were few signs of how routine the victory would prove.

West Ham's first instant goal had been gifted by a player who should have feared having to play here. Kalvin Phillips' performances at Ipswich this season have suggested that the former England prop is beginning to put a torrid few years behind him, including an ill-fated loan spell with West Ham last season. But the midfielder's botched pass to give up possession was severely punished, with Jarrod Bowen advancing and confronting Michail Antonio, who calmly scored with a minimum of fuss 48 seconds into the game.

The continuation of Liam Delap's good run meant the home team's lead was short-lived, with the former Manchester City striker firing with such venom from inside the penalty area that Alphonse Areola was unable to prevent the ball from flying close to the near post. But Ipswich's hopes were quickly dashed half a dozen minutes before half-time.

Shortly after hitting the post, Mohammed Kudus headed in from a few centimeters after Antonio's header, which hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced off the goal line.

Four minutes after the break the lead was further extended. Asked to deal with a horrible back pass, Arijanet Muric could only clear the ball to Bowen, who cut inside his defender and curled beautifully into the far corner from 20 yards.

With the hosts becoming more dominant as the match progressed, the result was confirmed when Lucas Paquetá became West Ham's fourth goalscorer, scoring the goal after the brilliant Bowen, providing the perfect response to their England snub , would have placed the ball in the goal.

“It ended up being a disappointing day for us,” McKenna said. “The vast majority of the first half was a competitive game, we played good football and it was very close. We conceded some bad goals at bad times which changed the momentum and it ended up being a comfortable win for West Ham.

“I don't think we were too far away from putting in a good competitive performance, but West Ham were worthy winners and much better in the second half.”

Their team's 22-year wait for a top-flight victory continues, while West Ham fans who had been assiduously avoiding the first division The table will be able to enjoy the bye week seeing their team just one point off the top half, at least overnight.