West Ham fans are convinced something is not right with captain Jarrod Bowen after his worst ever performance for the Hammers as Nuno Espirito Santo infuriated in the 0-0 bore draw with Palace.
West Ham missed a massive opportunity to put a four-point gap between them and bitter rivals Spurs in what looks a straight shootout to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
With five games to play that would have piled pressure on Tottenham.
Instead Nuno Espirito Santo unashamedly played for a point in the second half against a Crystal Palace side who were very much there for the taking.
Bowen’s worst ever West Ham display raises questions
Palace’s players had been partying abroad just three days before, the Eagles were missing some of their best players and clearly had more than one eye on their European semi-final next week.
Yet Nuno had his team sit deep for the entire second half to play on the counter attack.
Do you feel BETTER or WORSE about West Ham’s survival chances after gameweek 33? 🤔
The Hammers stayed two points clear of Spurs…
When West Ham did launch those counter attacks they fizzled out, not least because skipper Jarrod Bowen put in his worst ever performance for the club.
Bowen has been off his game for some time but showed signs of improvement in the win over Wolves.
However, the winger was unrecognisable from the first minute, giving the ball away almost every single time he got it.
Supporters are convinced something is not right with Bowen. He lacked any acceleration or his trademark speed and looked dead on his feet early on.
Fans believe he may be playing on through injury and pain for the team. That would be typical of the hardworking Hammers hero and a selfless act which would explain some of his performances in the second half of this season.
Others think Bowen may just be exhausted having carried the team on his back for the last two years and is in need of a rest.
Nuno infuriates West Ham fans by playing for a point with Palace there for the taking
The trouble is, West Ham simply cannot afford to be without him in many respects, even when he is this bad.
Even the most reliable performers can have an off night – and this felt like one of those rare occasions where nothing quite came off for the Hammers talisman.
Pick your Man of the Match after Palace 0-0 West Ham!
With so much riding on every game at this stage of the season, Bowen’s display stood out for all the wrong reasons, raising eyebrows among supporters and pundits alike.
His night was summed up when his boot came flying off during one attack.
When Bowen has been poor in recent months, West Ham have been able to rely on Crysencio Summerville.
But the Dutchman seems to have lost the sharpness which made him a difference maker in West Ham’s revival and needs to rediscover it fast if Nuno’s side are going to stay up.
There were some outstanding performances from Konstantinos Mavropanos, Axel Disasi and Mateus Fernandes in particular.
Tomas Soucek and Kyle Walker-Peters also deserve credit for their displays while Mads Hermansen was solid despite one poor error of judgement which gave away a needless corner.
The front two of Taty Castellanos and Pablo continue to work tirelessly for the team.
But there can be no hiding the fact the duo are woefully lacking in quality and goal threat.
The same could be said of West Ham’s all-round performance and Nuno has to take much of the blame for that with the way he set the side up in that second half.
To play for a point with our Premier League lives on the line is incredibly risky. Especially given the fact West Ham’s woeful goal difference is worth a point to Tottenham.
Nuno only made two subs late on of his designated five, leaving fans baffled and infuriated.
Spurs look a shoo-in to beat relegated Wolves this weekend while the Hammers face the much more difficult task of David Moyes’ Everton.
If Tottenham do win, as is expected, West Ham know they must match that and beat the Toffees if they are to avoid dropping back into the bottom three with four games to go.
And Nuno had better hope his negative second half game plan doesn’t come back to haunt the Hammers.
Because this looks like two points dropped but in actual fact it was two points surrendered.
West Ham player and manager ratings vs Palace:
Hermansen: 7.5/10, Walker-Peters: 7/10, Mavropanos: 10/10, Disasi: 10/10, Diouf: 5/10, Fernandes: 9/10, Soucek: 8/10, Summerville: 6/10, Bowen: 3/10, Castellanos: 4/10, Pablo: 5/10.
Subs: Wilson, Kante: 6/10.
Nuno: 3/10.
Relegation run-in final five fixtures:
| Team | Remaining fixtures (Opponent + H/A) |
|---|---|
| West Ham United | Everton (H), Brentford (A), Arsenal (H), Newcastle United (A) and Leeds United (H) |
| Nottingham Forest | Sunderland (A), Chelsea (A), Newcastle United (H), Man United (A) and Bournemouth (H) |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Wolves (A), Aston Villa (A), Leeds United (H), Chelsea (A) and Everton (H) |
| Leeds United | Bournemouth (A), Burnley (H), Spurs (A), Brighton (H) and West Ham (A) |
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