West Ham United manager David Moyes has set a high bar for star forward Jarrod Bowen, urging him to reach the coveted mark of 20 Premier League goals this season.
Bowen, recently back from injury, scored in the Hammers’ 2-2 draw against Liverpool, extending his overall goal tally to 20 across all competitions and 16 in the league. Moyes aspires for Bowen to replicate the feat of Tony Cottee, the last West Ham player to achieve 20 goals in the top division.
“He’s been hugely important this year,” Moyes said of Bowen. “There are not many West Ham forwards or strikers who got over 20 goals. Jarrod has got 20 in all competitions. I was hoping he would have 20 out-and-out Premier League goals. He has got 16 at the moment, so I am sort of pushing him.”
Moyes has laid out the challenge for Bowen: scoring four goals in the remaining three games to reach the 20-goal milestone in the Premier League. “It would be a great record to try and get,” commented Moyes.
The manager applauded Bowen’s journey and adaptability. “He has played probably three-quarters of the season as a wide player and probably a quarter of it as a number nine. I think he has done a great job and he can play both positions equally as well,” remarked Moyes. He further highlighted Bowen’s status as a current England international, expressing hope for future opportunities on the international stage.
Shifting focus to the team’s performance, Moyes commended the team’s resilience against Liverpool following their defeat to Crystal Palace. “On the back of a stinking result last week, I thought the players showed great character and stuck at it against a really good team,” he said.
Moyes emphasised the team’s consistent efforts against top competition throughout the season. “We’ve done it quite often against a lot of the big sides here this season: Tottenham, Man United, Chelsea, so maybe you shouldn’t be too surprised that we’ve bloodied somebody’s nose,” he stated.
While acknowledging the desire for a win, Moyes conceded, “We would have liked three points, but we weren’t quite good enough for that.”