Taty Castellanos scored two goals either side of half-time to help West Ham cruise into the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Jarrod Bowen scored a deflected effort between the Argentine’s double, giving Hammers supporters a reason to smile ahead of the EFL Championship getting underway next weekend.
West Ham fire a quick turnaround
West Ham had to come from behind at the London Stadium after Adrian Segecic gave Portsmouth the lead after 33 minutes.
The Hammers responded strongly before half-time, with Castellanos drawing Nuno Espírito Santo’s side level in the 43rd minute.
Bowen then completed the turnaround just two minutes later. The West Ham captain found space to shoot before his effort took a significant deflection on its way past the Portsmouth goalkeeper.
Castellanos quickly ended any hopes Portsmouth had of responding after the restart.
Bowen delivered from the right and the Argentine converted five minutes into the second half to make it 3-1 and put West Ham in control.
The two goals continued an encouraging summer for Castellanos, who also found the net during the 5-0 pre-season victory over Stevenage.
ReadWestHam previously highlighted how the partnership between Bowen and Castellanos could become central to Nuno’s promotion plans, with the pair combining effectively throughout pre-season.
Nuno gets positive signs before Championship opener
The afternoon was not completely straightforward for West Ham.
Portsmouth caused problems during the opening half-hour and deserved their lead when Segecic broke the deadlock. Nuno will want his side to start games with greater control once the Championship campaign begins.
The response was much more encouraging.
West Ham scored three times in the space of seven minutes either side of half-time, with Bowen and Castellanos providing the quality expected from two of the club’s leading attackers.
Edson Álvarez also returned to the starting XI, while Lewis Orford was handed another opportunity in midfield as Nuno continued to balance experience with younger options.
The result sends West Ham into the second round of the Carabao Cup and gives them a competitive victory before attention turns fully towards the Championship.
After a summer of major change following relegation, Nuno could hardly have asked for a better attacking response from Bowen and Castellanos.
