For West Ham United, this season has been fascinating, with some incredible highs (mainly in Europe) and some terrible lows.
Even though the Hammers are now in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Europa League and seventh in the Premier League, David Moyes may not have the full support of the team at this point.
Nevertheless, a serious injury has kept the very talented forward out of tonight’s match against Bayer Leverkusen, so Moyes will have to substitute one of his most dependable players.
Jarrod Bowen’s season so far
The former Hull City star has had yet another incredible season playing in the top division, and he has certainly silenced any skeptics that may still exist.
The 27-year-old sensation has made 40 appearances for the Hammers in all competitions this year, scoring 19 goals and dishing out eight assists. This means that he is averaging a goal every 1.4 games, which is comparable to the highly regarded Phil Foden and demonstrates the caliber of play the Irons star has been putting in this season.
| Jarrod Bowen’s season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | Premier League | Europa League | FA Cup | League Cup |
| Appearances | 31 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Goals | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Assists | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Goal Involvements per Match | 0.64 | 0.66 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| All Stats via Transfermarkt | ||||
The Leominster native has also been quite successful in the Europa League, making six appearances—or more precisely, barely 460 minutes—with one goal and three assists. This indicates that in the second-most renowned competition in Europe, he is involving himself in a goal every 115 minutes on average.
Overall, the 5’9″ superstar has been a vital component of Moyes’ team this season, so it would be disastrous if he missed what is likely their most important game of the year against Xabi Alonso’s flawless and nearly unbeatable Leverkusen team.
That said, there is one player who might be able to do a job for the Scotsman tonight.
Why Moyes should turn to Michail Antonio
Now, Bowen has primarily played as a centre-forward for the Irons this season, and there is no reason to think he wouldn’t have played in this role again tonight had he been fit.
Danny Ings or Michael Antonio are the only viable alternatives off the bench as they can play up top, which will allow Mohammed Kudus to stay out wide where he has spent the majority of the season.
Although neither striker has had a particularly successful season thus far, Antonio has missed a significant amount of time due to injury, while Ings has essentially been reduced to a bench role. As a result, it is quite likely that Antonio will start at the front of the attack tonight.
| Antonio vs Ings in 23/24 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Antonio | Ings |
| Appearances | 24 | 25 |
| Goals | 4 | 1 |
| Assists | 2 | 0 |
| Goal Involvements per Match | 0.25 | 0.04 |
| All Stats via Transfermarkt | ||
Despite missing 17 games this season due to a knee injury, the 5’11” “giant,” as journalist Paul Brown has nicknamed him, has nevertheless managed to make 24 appearances for the Hammers. He has demonstrated that he is still capable of doing so by contributing two assists and scoring four goals in these, two of which have occurred in the previous month.
In the end, Antonio will be unable to match Bowen’s performance from tonight or his all-around danger. But he can still be a pain in Leverkusen’s side and a bridge for players like Lucas Paquetá and Kudus, and that might be sufficient.
Read more on https://sportupdates.co.uk/
Leave a Reply