Carabao Cup: West Ham United defeat Portsmouth, seal 2nd-round progression
What's the story
West Ham United staged a remarkable comeback, scoring three goals in just seven minutes, to defeat Portsmouth in the first round of the 2026-27 Carabao Cup. The match took place at the London Stadium. Despite Portsmouth's Adrian Segecic opening the scoring with a deflected strike, West Ham turned things around just before half-time with goals from Valentin Castellanos and Jarrod Bowen.
Goal rush
West Ham United in control
West Ham turned the tide of the match just before half-time when Castellanos and Bowen scored within two minutes of each other.
The Hammers then extended their lead further as Bowen's cross found Castellanos, who headed it home.
This quick succession of goals changed the course of the game and put Nuno Espirito Santo's side firmly in control.
Match dynamics
What happened in the 1st half?
Portsmouth took an early lead in the 30th minute when Segecic's shot from outside the box was deflected by Max Kilman into the net.
The goal sent the 9,000 traveling fans into a frenzy.
However, West Ham quickly responded when Castellanos found the back of the net from a low Mohamadou Kante cross.
Bowen then gave his side a lead with a left-footed strike from outside the box that deflected off Conor Shaughnessy's head and wrong-footed goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid.
Match conclusion
West Ham seal the deal
West Ham continued their dominance in the second half with Bowen crossing to Castellanos, who headed into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
The Hammers defended well for the remainder of the match to secure their place in the next round.
Portsmouth failed to pose much of a threat, ensuring a comfortable victory for West Ham United at home.
Do you know?
West Ham got relegated from the Premier League last season
West Ham were relegated to the Championship. The Hammers went down in Matchweek 38 of the Premier League 2025-26 season. West Ham joined Wolves and Burnley as the three teams to get relegated last season. Now they will hope to make a swift return back atop.
Information
86th goal for Bowen in West Ham colors
West Ham skipper Bowen recorded his 86th goal for the club in all competitions. He made his 281st appearance for the Hammers since joining the club in 2020 from Hull City. He also scored his 6th Carabao Cup goal, including 5 for the Hammers.
Twitter Post
Round 2!
Into Round Two! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xYUVXMxlbK
— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 8, 2026