Moyes drops bizarre Bowen criticism

David Moyes insists Jarrod Bowen could have changed the game for West Ham against Arsenal if he’d “left his foot in” when being tackled by Aaron Ramsdale.

The Hammers were beaten 2-1 at the London Stadium in a game which has dealt a severe blow to the Irons’ hopes of finishing in the top six.

A win would have seen Moyes’ men leapfrog Manchester United into sixth but the result was a disappointing one, and the second half was a particularly dismal performance.

One of the headline moments saw Bowen sent clean through down the right channel, and Gunners goalkeeper Ramsdale rushed out to meet him, sliding in and making a challenge. Bowen went down but was booked by referee Mike Dean for diving.

And Moyes has now taken the rather odd decision to criticise Bowen for managing to avoid the tackle, which looked reckless on the replays.

Speaking to the club’s official website, the boss said: “Jarrod scored again and that’s good for him, but he probably could have changed us the game if he’d left his foot in against the goalkeeper in the challenge with their goalkeeper that he made.

“But he’s a great boy and I’m sure he wasn’t going in any way [to simulate].

“But you see so many players now, the goalkeepers come rushing out and the centre forward leaves his foot in and lets the goalie take him out and I think Jarrod could easily have done that today.”