West Ham fans have a lot to thank Arsenal star William Saliba for in the battle to make manager David Moyes see sense.
There is more than one big debate dividing West Ham fans in the wake of the Arsenal humbling.
Hammers supporters were divided over David Moyes’ future before the Gunners inflicted the biggest home league defeat on their side for 61 years.
The pressure on the Scot has ramped up since.
Arsenal exposed West Ham’s weaknesses all over the pitch.
But Mikel Arteta’s side – and one player in particular – may just have helped settle another big Hammers debate regarding Jarrod Bowen too.
West Ham fans have a lot to thank Saliba for
West Ham fans have a lot to thank Arsenal star William Saliba for in the battle to make Moyes see sense.
There is no doubting Bowen is one of West Ham’s key players. The forward makes Moyes’ side tick.
But he has gone off the boil since the turn of the year. And many Hammers fans believe that’s because he simply is not a striker.
Moyes has been playing Bowen up top on his own. And he started there against Arsenal too.
Star has surely made Moyes see sense over Bowen?
When he has Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus behind him, that can work depending on the opposition.
But the majority of West Ham fans are in agreement – Bowen is not a bonafide striker and is much better in his preferred position on the right.
Michail Antonio even recently claimed Bowen doesn’t enjoy playing up front.
Well Arsenal’s Rolls Royce of a centre-back Saliba has just helped the cause of fans pleading with Moyes to revert to Bowen on the wing.
Saliba Saves Our Season?
Yes Saliba makes most strikers look pretty average. But he completely dominated Bowen like nothing we have seen yet.
He was all over the England man like a rash. He got tight to Bowen, ensuring he was almost always playing with his back to goal. And it completely nullified his threat and all Bowen’s key attributes.
Saliba recorded an official 8.3/10 rating for the Hammers clash – his best of the season by some distance.
By contrast the man he completely marked out of the game was rated 5.8/10. That’s officially Bowen’s worst ever match rating since he joined West Ham.
If that does not show Moyes that Bowen is not cut out to be a top level lone striker – or that it is clear he contributes so much more flying at players and cutting in from the right – then nothing ever will.
Arsenal did not do West Ham or Moyes too many favours on Sunday.
But Saliba may just have inadvertently saved West Ham’s season.
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