West Ham's Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek dedicated their crucial 2-1 victory over Wolves on Monday to their injured teammate, Michail Antonio, as he continues his recovery from a serious car crash. Antonio, who had been involved in a terrifying accident in Epping, suffered a lower limb fracture and underwent surgery after being cut out of his Ferrari. West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui described it as a "miracle" that the 34-year-old survived the crash.
During the match, West Ham supporters held a minute's applause in the ninth minute, corresponding with Antonio’s shirt number, to show their support for the striker. In a highly emotional moment, Bowen celebrated his 72nd-minute winner by lifting up Antonio's jersey in tribute.
"That meant everything. To share that moment, he's not here with us but I'm sure he was watching, and the fans, you heard them," Bowen said, reflecting on the emotional days leading up to the match.
Soucek had opened the scoring for West Ham, and though Wolves equalized through Matt Doherty, the Czech midfielder dedicated his goal to Antonio.
"The goal was for him. I really wanted to score even more today," Soucek said, adding that playing without Antonio, who has been with the club since Soucek's arrival, was difficult. He expressed his relief that Antonio was recovering well and emphasized how important the striker is to the team. "It was a really tough week for him, his family, and us," Soucek said.
Before the match, Antonio inspired his teammates with a video call, where he smiled and wished them good luck. Soucek described his friend as "a really lovely guy" with a great sense of humor, sharing that Antonio made a few jokes during the call. "I can't wait to visit him," Soucek said, looking forward to seeing Antonio as he continues to recover in the hospital after his surgery.
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