James Ward-Prowse scored directly from a corner as West Ham came from behind to win 2-1 at Wolves but only after Jarrod Bowen was injured, days before their Europa League clash against Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Ward-Prowse took advantage of the wind whipping around Molineux to curl in a corner in the 84th minute after Lucas Paqueta’s 72nd-minute penalty had cancelled out a first-half spot-kick from Pablo Sarabia in this Premier League contest.

Wolves captain Maximilian Kilman thought he had levelled in the ninth minute of stoppage time but his header was ruled out for offside after a VAR intervention.

The win puts West Ham level on points with sixth-placed Manchester United in the fight for Europa League places, but their immediate European ambitions may well be hurt after Bowen fell awkwardly at the start of the second half, with the trip to Leverkusen looming on Thursday night.

David Moyes’ side have now taken 19 points from losing positions this season, although this was only West Ham’s third league win of 2024.

The Hammers could and should have taken the lead 11 minutes in through the industry of Bowen, who robbed Nelson Semedo on the byline and threaded a low ball through to Tomas Soucek yards from goal. However, the Czech Republic international could not get the ball out of his feet.

It was a key moment as Wolves went on to dominate the rest of the half. Rayan Ait-Nouri, nominally a left-back but a player who came into the game with three goals in four games after being shifted in a more attacking role, again took on the leading role.

The Algerian went close when he ran almost the length of the pitch to burst into the box, only for Kurt Zouma to slide in as he was about to pull the trigger, before Tommy Doyle brought a save out of veteran goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, again deputising for the injured Alphonse Areola.

The pressure was building and paid off when Doyle’s pass from the left found another excellent run from Ait-Nouri, who was felled by Emerson Palmieri in the box. After a VAR check, Sarabia stepped up to beat Fabianski with a spot-kick that went in off the inside of the right-hand post.

Moyes may well have had one eye on Thursday’s trip to Germany when leaving Michail Antonio on the bench but he took action on the break as the Jamaican came on to make his 300th appearance, joined by Ben Johnson as Soucek and Vladimir Coufal made way.

Minutes after the restart Bowen appeared to injure his hip after a challenge with Gomes, and moments later Wolves lost Ait-Nouri, who hobbled off in the 55th minute to be replaced by Matheus Cunha.

The changes seemed to do more to help West Ham as they finally exerted some pressure. Mohammed Kudus fired over before Ward-Prowse saw a free-kick deflected wide.

The Hammers thought they were level in the 63rd minute when Emerson headed in, but Tony Harrington generously signalled for a foul on Semedo in the build-up.

Wolves were creating their own problems, failing to clear the ball, and would be made to pay in the 72nd minute.

Gomes played the ball back to Toti in a tight space and West Ham whipped it away before Emerson’s cross was blocked by the arm of Kilman, with Paqueta dispatching the penalty after a stuttering run-up.

Johnson tested Sa with a volley and two minutes later, Ward-Prowse’s corner sailed over the goalkeeper and in.

Wolves thought they were level at the end but Harrington was sent to the check the screen by VAR Darren England and Tawanda Chirewa was deemed to be blocking Fabianski as Kilman headed in the corner, to the fury of the home fans.

Blackburn edge towards safety with vital point against Southampton

Blackburn edged closer to Championship survival as Southampton’s faint automatic promotion hopes took another blow as these sides returned from Easter Monday blockbusters with a goalless draw.

John Eustace celebrated his first official win as Rovers boss in style with a 5-1 triumph at Sunderland at the start of a week that saw Saints stunned in a 3-2 stoppage-time defeat at fellow high-flyers Ipswich.

But there was no such drama as the teams met at a blustery Ewood Park on Saturday afternoon, with Rovers further easing their relegation fears in a 0-0 draw against fourth-placed Saints.

Russell Martin’s men dominated first-half possession but failed to create clear-cut chances, with Joe Aribo’s header off the crossbar the closest they came.

Rovers star Sammie Szmodics nearly saw an audacious effort from distance come off and the hosts continued to pose problems after half-time as Eustace searched for his first home win.

Both teams had chances to win it but a flat-looking Saints came closest, with Kyle Walker-Peters seeing a late shot cleared by Callum Brittain.

The first league meeting between these sides at Ewood Park in 19 years began with Sam Gallagher having an early chance against his former club.

That was swiftly followed by Adam Armstrong – one of three former Rovers players in the Saints line-up – striking wide a good chance from a driven David Brooks cross.

But things tailed off after that lively start, with a drab encounter briefly coming to life in the 25th minute when Aribo saw a header from Jack Stephens’ cross hit the crossbar.

The ball hit goalkeeper Aynsley Pears as it came off the woodwork and, after Rovers’ Ryan Hedges went off with a hamstring injury, the hosts went close through the Championship’s top scorer.

Jan Bednarek was breathing a sigh of relief after Szmodics picked up his loose pass and tried an audacious clipped effort from 30 yards that landed on the roof of the net.

Saints captain Stephens headed over as play limped towards half-time in Lancashire, where play resumed with Ryan Fraser striking wide in front of the 2,499 away fans.

Tyrhys Dolan saw a low shot saved by Gavin Bazunu at the end of some slick Blackburn build-up, with Saints’ backline having to make some important interventions after that.

The Ewood Park faithful were beginning to increase the volume so Martin turned to his bench, with freshly-introduced Che Adams curling just wide soon after coming on.

Blackburn kept knocking at the door and Taylor Harwood-Bellis threw himself in front of a Szmodics strike.

At the other end Walker-Peters wriggled free in the box only for a block by Brittain – sent off in the reverse fixture – to deny Saints in the 80th minute.

Joe Rankin-Costello was then stopped by Bazunu as the match ended scoreless.

Everton end long wait for win to land hammer blow on Burnley in relegation scrap

Everton secured a first Premier League win since December over 10-man Burnley to boost their survival hopes and deal a hammer blow to the struggling Clarets.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s luck appears to have finally changed as his goal gave Sean Dyche’s side a first win in 14 league matches.

The forward, who ended his six-month wait for a goal with the equaliser at Newcastle in the week, charged down Arijanet Muric’s clearance seconds before the end of the first half and saw the ball loop into an empty net for a 1-0 victory.

Rejuvenated by goals in back-to-back matches for the first time since September, the 27-year-old appeared to shift up a gear and had a couple more chances either side of Dara O’Shea’s straight red card for a lunge on Dwight McNeil.

But one goal was enough to prevent an equalling of a club-record 14 league matches without a win dating back to 1937, moving them up to 15th but still only four points above 18th-placed Luton after the Hatters’ win against Bournemouth.

It was crucial timing with the outcome of a second independent commission into profitability and sustainability breaches – for which they have already been docked six points – expected next week.

However, for second-bottom Burnley, themselves with just one win in 15, this was a first defeat in five and left them six points from safety.

Everton made four changes, including both central midfielders, with Idrissa Gana Gueye absent as his wife gave birth overnight and Amadou Onana complaining of soreness after training.

More significantly, Calvert-Lewin was restored to the team and it was him sensing half an opportunity which brought the goal – and much relief – 10 seconds from the end of what was a turgid first half.

Muric, who had not had to face a shot on target, inexplicably delayed far too long from Maxime Esteve’s square backpass and Calvert-Lewin made enough ground to be able to charge down the clearance with maximum reward.

It was the stroke of luck which he had been searching for since October and came hot on the heels of the penalty which ended his drought on Tuesday at St James’ Park.

For Burnley it was moment of self-sabotage as they had edged the first 45 minutes with Jacob Bruun Larsen sending a free-kick just over and David Fofana heading into the arms of Jordan Pickford.

A possibly tactical showing of the afternoon’s scores, just as Luton went behind, 10 minutes into the second half gave home fans a lift but they were not the only ones recharged as Calvert-Lewin nutmegged O’Shea and forced Muric to save with an outstretched foot at his near post after Lorenz Assignon had given away possession.

Abdoulaye Doucoure headed over Ashley Young’s cross as Everton sensed their chance to put daylight between themselves and the relegation zone and the dismissal of O’Shea helped their cause.

The Burnley defender mis-controlled a pass from fellow centre-back Esteve and in trying to rectify the situation lunged at McNeil on the halfway line and referee Michael Oliver immediately brandished what seemed a harsh red card.

Sander Berge’s challenge on Calvert-Lewin’s replacement Beto looked more like a red card on the edge of the area as the striker bore down on goal but Oliver was not interested.