'Perfect', 'unplayable' Jarrod Bowen drags West Ham back into form

On a day it was expected that either Lucas Paqueta or David Moyes would make the headlines, it was Jarrod Bowen who made the biggest impact.

The 27-year-old forward scored his first career hat-trick in West Ham United’s 4-2 win over Brentford. He had not scored in the league since December but produced a performance which showed why he merits a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for next summer’s European Championship. It is no surprise Thomas Frank, the Brentford manager, described Bowen as “unplayable”.

Since joining from Hull City for £20million ($25.3m) in January 2020, Bowen has scored 57 goals across 190 appearances. In October, he signed a seven-year contract extension until summer 2030 and he is on track to have his best goalscoring campaign for West Ham. His previous highest was 18 goals in 2021-22.

“He’s not had that many chances in the last few games and he’s maybe not been at his best,” said manager David Moyes. “He had an ankle injury last month and I think that hindered him, but he’s beginning to find his way again now. He’s always going to love it when Lucas (Paqueta) and Mo (Kudus) are playing either side of him because he’s always going to get opportunities to score.”

Bowen’s belated return to form was a welcome boost for Moyes. West Ham arrived on home soil on an eight-game winless streak with a porous defence and a struggling attack. Heading into the Brentford game, it seemed like it could be one of those nights where there would be further conjecture over Moyes’ long-term position. His contract expires at the end of the season and last Friday, he said he has been offered a new contract but will wait until the current campaign is over to decide on his future.

But for the first time since mid-December, West Ham were able to enjoy a performance where the post-match introspection centred on their players and not the manager.

Bowen is on a career-best 14 Premier League goals for the season, Konstantinos Mavropanos justified his selection ahead of Nayef Aguerd, Emerson Palmieri channelled his inner Julian Dicks to score spectacularly from outside the box, the midfield partnership of Edson Alvarez and Tomas Soucek impressed, Kudus provided his first assist since November, Vladimir Coufal registered his sixth assist of the season and the return of Paqueta was long overdue.

Paqueta made his first appearance since aggravating a calf injury against Bristol City in January. He was the missing piece of West Ham’s creativity, with Bowen failing to score in 530 minutes without the Brazilian on the field. Bowen, Kudus and Paqueta’s synergy was noticeable during wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United in December, but Paqueta’s injury saw opponents nullify Bowen and Kudus’ impact, with West Ham failing to score in three consecutive games in February against Manchester United (in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford), Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. 

But Paqueta returned and Moyes’ side played with zip and confidence again. Their Brentford triumph was the first time this season they have scored four goals and the margin of victory could have been higher had Soucek not been profligate in front of goal.

They were 2-0 up inside seven minutes, Bowen following up a thumping finish that whistled past Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken early on by side-footing home Coufal’s low cross. He completed his hat-trick midway through the second half when he drifted into space in the Brentford area and headed home Kudus’ teasing delivery.

Moyes has transitioned Bowen into a centre-forward and the best part about his development has been the aerial aspect of his game. The former Hull City man failed to score a header in 2022-23, but this season he has headed home against Brentford, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Luton Town. It is impressive considering he is West Ham’s smallest forward at 5ft 9in (175cm). Divin Mubama is 6ft, Michail Antonio is 5ft 11in, and Danny Ings is 5ft 10in.

“I don’t score many headers, but they all count,” Bowen told Sky Sports. “It’s a really proud moment for me. You’re always waiting for that third one and it never comes. I got the little glance on the header and it went in.

“I’m always learning. With my energy, I’m always trying to press. It’s difficult. I’m 5ft 9in and up against big centre-halves. I’ve got to know what I’m good at and what I’m not good at. I’m trying to learn a new position in one of the best leagues.”

Bowen, who has earned five caps since making his debut in 2022, will likely feature in Southgate’s England squad for upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium. The attacker is the joint-top English goalscorer in the league along with Dominic Solanke of Bournemouth and Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins.

“Jarrod’s been perfect since joining West Ham and I’m so happy for him,” said Soucek. “His contributions today were perfect for the team and hopefully he’ll continue his goalscoring form. He brings quality on the ball, he can score with his head, score on the counter-attack, make assists, and he can score from outside the box. He has many key attributes.”

Palmieri and Edson Alvarez also eulogised Bowen’s performance but stressed the importance of West Ham maintaining this level of performance.

This Saturday, they face Everton, which will be a difficult encounter as Sean Dyche’s side aim to secure their Premier League status after having their 10-point deduction for breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) reduced to six points.

The trio of Kudus, Paqueta and Bowen provide a tough test for any team and Moyes will hope their insatiable appetite for goals and assists regularly leave a sour taste for opposition defences.

(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)