Jarrod Bowen can claim World Cup spot with run of form over next 4 weeks with West Ham United
It’s been a horrible start to the season for West Ham and Jarrod Bowen so far, but he’s got around four weeks to turn it all around starting on Monday.
Bowen has managed no goals and no assists in the Premier League so far this season, despite starting each of the club’s seven games so far where they’ve suffered five defeats and currently sit in the relegation zone.
But the 25-year-old winger was still called up to the England squad for the second time after making his debut in the summer, and he’ll want to do all he can to be in the next squad too.
Bowen earned his first four caps in the summer against Hungary, Germany and Italy after a stunning season for the Hammers, where he scored 18 goals and registered 13 assists in all competitions.
But if there is one position where Gareth Southgate is spoilt for choice it’s in attack, and Bowen’s place in the side is certainly not cemented with his performances so far this season.
Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Jack Harrison and James Maddison are all players who were left out of the most recent squad despite strong starts to the season, and Bowen is already behind the likes of Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount currently.
But after defeat in Friday’s clash with Italy saw them relegated from the top division in the UEFA Nations League, where Bowen didn’t feature, the manager should use Monday’s clash with Germany as a chance to try out new blood.
It’s the last chance he will have to do so, with the next time the squad meeting up being to take part in the World Cup in Qatar in November.
Bowen is likely to be one of those players given the nod to show what he can do from the start, but a performance against Germany solely won’t be enough to keep him in the side.
He needs to start to recapture that form from last season in a West Ham shirt, but the best way to do that is to have a goal to push for.
If Bowen is able to find goals and assists to help the Hammers climb up the table, then he should expect to find himself in Southgate’s squad announcement on October 20th.
Between now and then West Ham have six fixtures: Wolves at home, Anderlecht away, Fulham at home, Anderlecht at home, Southampton away and Liverpool away.
Perform there, and you’re in Jarrod. Now it’s time to deliver.