West Ham United’s season has been eventful this year, with some incredible highs (mainly in Europe) and some terrible lows.
Although the entire Hammers fan base may not be behind David Moyes just yet, he has guided the team to seventh place in the Premier League and into the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals.
But tonight’s match against Bayer Leverkusen is not going to happen due to Jarrod Bowen’s injury. As a result, Moyes will have to substitute one of his most dependable players.
Bowen, Jarrod, for West Ham
The current season of Jarrod Bowen
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.
The season of Jarrod Bowen
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.
Having said that, there is one player who could help the Scotsman out tonight.
Reasons Moyes ought to consult Michael Antonio
Now, Bowen has been the Irons’ main center-forward this season, and if he had been healthy, there’s no reason to believe he wouldn’t have started in this position tonight.
The transfer of Antonio West Ham Celtic Parkhead
The player who replaces the Englishman must therefore be able to play up top in order to allow Mohammed Kudus to stay out wide, where he has spent the majority of the season. This leaves Danny Ings or Michail Antonio as the two plausible bench alternatives.
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.
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 contrast, in 25 appearances, most of them as substitutes, the former Southampton striker has only managed one goal.
