As far as Matt Jarvis is concerned, the Jarrod Bowen West Ham United supporters are seeing today is the best version of Jarrod Bowen yet.
Half a decade into his Hammers career, has the captain ever performed with more consistency or carried more threat?
Matthew Upson labelled Bowen ‘world-class’ after his instinctive first-time finish broke Nottingham Forest’s resistance a fortnight ago. The Premier League’s all-time record goalscorer Alan Shearer describes the England forward as ‘incredible’.
And if Alan Pardew was sitting in Thomas Tuchel’s chair, Bowen would start over Noni Madueke every single time. The West Ham United talisman has ten goals or assists in his last 14 top-flight appearances, after all, compared to Madueke’s one.
Matt Jarvis, who spent some time on the West Ham wings himself back in the day, has a theory about why Jarrod Bowen’s returns are growing year on year. Ageing as nicely as a bottle of claret the colour of the Hammers’ home shirt.
Matt Jarvis on Jarrod Bowen’s improvement at West Ham United
Jarvis, who spent four years at Upton Park from 2012 to 2016, was a winger from a different era, both literally and figuratively. When he was at his pomp, the one-time Wolves talisman made a habit of beating full-backs one-v-one and whipping crosses into the penalty area.
Sam Allardyce signed Matt Jarvis to serve Andy Carroll, rather than to cut in and score goals himself.
Bowen, in contrast, perfectly represents the modern interpretation of a wideman’s role.
Yet, as Jarvis tells the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, his ability to both create and take chances in equal measure owes a lot to the fact that he now has plenty of experience playing as a number nine as well as a right-sided forward.
“He has actually benefitted from playing up front, I think,” Jarvis says. “Before, he was a brilliant winger but he used to take people on and go round the outside. Now, he’s learned to go straight for goal.
“He’s now able to do both. His first instinct now is to go for goal. He’s proven that week-in, week-out. And he’s still able to create, to go onto his right foot. But his first thought now is; ‘How am I going to score a goal?’.
“And that has pushed him up a few levels in my opinion.”
Bowen benefiting from David Moyes teachings as he backs Crysencio Summerville to kick on
It was David Moyes who first fielded Bowen as a centre-forward, most commonly during the 2023/24 season. It is no coincidence that the former Hull City starlet produced his best-ever scoring season that term, netting 16 in the Premier League and 20 overall.
Even during West Ham’s dismal start to the current campaign, and following one uneasy flashpoint at Molineux, Bowen has been a rare pillar of consistency.
“I think Bowen has produced year-in, year-out at West Ham, and they’re not fighting for the title!” Jarvis adds. “I think that plays a part [in him not starting for England].
“He’s the captain. Even at the start of this season, the team hasn’t played well but his performances have still been high.”
Ahead of Saturday’s London derby with bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Graham Potter and co will be desperate to build on that 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest before the international break.
Mateus Fernandes shone on his Hammers debut, while Bowen is backing Crysencio Summerville to continue where he left off following a scintillating cameo at the City Ground.
“I think we’ve recruited really well, and obviously we’ve got Crysencio Summerville who’s come back from injury,” Bowen explained while on England duty last week. “[Summerville] almost feels like a new signing because he’s missed nearly six months of football.
“When he came on at the weekend [against Nottingham Forest], he made a really big impact.”
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