West Ham vs Norwich: Player ratings and analysis as Bowen boosts England chances with match-winning display

West Ham 2-0 Norwich (Bowen 42′, 83′)

LONDON STADIUM — It is a sad reality for West Ham and beyond an increasingly select few, every football club, that at the precise point in time that a player unlocks a new level of performance the inevitable noise begins. West Ham had it with the Golden Generation in the 1990s; they have had it with Declan Rice over the past few seasons; and now they have it with Jarrod Bowen, the talk of the east end.

The 25-year-old is becoming an increasingly prominent Premier League player, influencing more and more games with a silky left-foot that was cultivated in the non-league at Hereford and then lower leagues with Hull City. Now he’s being touted for an England call-up and is being tipped to fill the right-wing position in Liverpool’s front three should Mo Salah’s contract situation remain unresolved. Incidentally, Salah was the same age when he made the move to Anfield.

On recent evidence, it is difficult to argue against Bowen being an asset for Gareth Southgate, particularly at a time when Manchester United’s triumvirate of wide forwards Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Jadon Sancho are so clearly lacking form, confidence or both and Jack Grealish is struggling to get a game at Manchester City. It is equally difficult to name a Premier League club that Bowen wouldn’t improve.

These days, West Ham possess plenty of highly-skilled, technical footballers. Against the Premier League’s bottom club, David Moyes decided to add another into the mix, with Nikola Vlasic filling in for the unavailable Tomas Soucek, and Manuel Lanzini dropping into midfield alongside Declan Rice. From the first minute until the last, Bowen was the pick of the bunch.

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A significant chunk of Dean Smith’s pre-match talk would have centred around keeping Bowen subdued, given his electric form. The plan was almost undone within three minutes. The winger made his usual dart from out to in, cushioned Lanzini’s weighted pass into his path and arrowed a low half-volley towards the bottom corner. Those draped in claret and blue scarves were on their feet in anticipation; their counterparts in yellow and green feared the worst; but Tim Krul just about kept it out.

With 36 minutes played, Bowen thought he had broken Norwich’s resistance with one of those sweeping crosses that somehow swings and swerves through a crowded penalty area before nestling in the opposite corner. West Ham’s celebrations were cut short and the bubble machine hastily switched off, when it transpired that Vlasic had been in an offside position in front of Krul.

West Ham (4-2-3-1)

• Lukasz Fabianski – 7
• Vladimir Coufal – 8
• Craig Dawson – 7
• Issa Diop – 6
• Aaron Cresswell – 7
• Declan Rice – 7
• Manuel Lanzini – 6
• Pablo Fornals – 7
• Nikola Vlasic – 6
• Jarrod Bowen – 9
• Michail Antonio – 7

Subs:

• Arthur Masuaku – 7
• Andriy Yarmolenko – N/A

Norwich (4-4-2)

• Tim Krul – 7
• Max Aarons – 6
• Grant Hanley – 6
• Ben Gibson – 6
• Brandon Williams – 5
• Przemyslaw Płacheta – 5
• Pierre Lees-Melou – 6
• Kenny McLean – 6
• Milot Rashica – 5
• Adam Idah – 7
• Teemu Pukki – 5

Subs:

• Kieran Dowell – 5
• Christos Tzolis – 5
• Jonathan Rowe – N/A

It proved only a temporary reprieve for the visitors. Just before half-time, Bowen had the ball in the net again, glancing Vladimir Coufal’s corner into the same spot to give the hosts a deserved lead.

For a long time, it looked as though it would be his lot. Just before the hour mark, Bowen raced onto a pinpoint Pablo Fornals pass, dinked the ball over Krul and recoiled in anguish when the shot clanked off the top of crossbar. Not long later he smacked an effort onto the base of the post, this time via a swish of the right boot.

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And just as anxiety threatened to creep into the London Stadium, he scored his and West Ham’s second of the evening, sweeping in Arthur Masuaku’s low cross with the goal gaping. Initially ruled out for offside, the blue lines of VAR were required to rubber-stamp it. It was a fitting reward for an exceptional evening’s work. That was his eighth goal of the campaign, which combined with eight assists is more than any other English player in the Premier League has managed.

The calls for a call-up are only going to grow louder. The secret is well and truly out.

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