David Moyes makes Marko Arnautovic reference in praise of West Ham star Jarrod Bowen after Sheffield United win

Posted by

According to Football.London, David Moyes told the media after West Ham’s 3-0 win against Sheffield United that Jarrod Bowen can be as successful as Michail Antonio and Marko Arnautovic up front.

Antonio was left out of the matchday squad last night owing to a hamstring issue, leaving Bowen to be deployed as a centre-forward, with the big-money recruit flourishing in this role against the Blades.

Bowen looked brilliant down the middle, the 24-year-old’s energy and all-around attacking ability saw him link up well alongside attackers Jesse Lingard and Manuel Lanzini in the 3-4-2-1 system.

Moyes admitted that Bowen did a ‘great job’ against the Blades, adding that the display offers the Hammers another option up front in the future.

The Scotsman then referenced both Antonio and former West Ham star Arnautovic by stating that the club’s recent ‘history’ shows that wingers who are transitioned into strikers become ‘very good’.

Jarrod Bowen has made a great start to life at West Ham.

Here’s what Moyes had to say on Bowen’s display and what it may mean for the future: 

“I thought Jarrod did a great job tonight as a forward player. It gives us other options and might have given Jarrod a little freshen up as well.”

“The history recently here is that any wingers who end up as a centre-forward become very good so who knows if the same thing can happen with Jarrod.”

According to the Athletic (subscription required) , Bowen was signed in a £22m deal last January, with the impressive attacking midfielder already winning a pay-rise for his solid performances.

On the Arnautovic front, Moyes switched the Austrian to a centre-forward role after he took charge of the Hammers in his first spell at the club, in a decision that produced amazing results.

Arnautovic bagged 11 Premier League goals after the former Man United boss took over, when Moyes left, the ace continued his fine form up top and established himself as a bonafide stars with 10 top-flight goals in the 18/19 campaign before leaving for Shanghai SIPG in China.

Antonio found his chance as a striker, and started playing the best football of his career, after spells as a winger and right-back for the Hammers.

With the loan signing of Jesse Lingard bolstering the side’s attacking midfield ranks, the Hammers can afford to use Bowen as a striker when needed, in a move that also offers them an in-house option to their striker issues after they decided against replacing Sebastien Haller, who was just sold to Ajax.

More Stories David Moyes Jarrod Bowen Marko Arnautovic Michail Antonio