WHERE would West Ham be without Jarrod Bowen?
There are some in the east end of London who believe the answer to that question is: the Championship.
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The latest in our SCOUT REPORT series focuses on the Hammers’ talisman ahead of the new Dream Team season.
While it’s true that gaffers need a certain degree of longsightedness when selecting their XI, there’s something to be said for targeting the opening weekend of the Premier League.
Those keen on a strong start should be particularly interested in Bowen as he’s due to face Sunderland in Gameweek 1.
This is not to say the Black Cats should be underestimated as they will be cheered on by a partisan home crowd at the Stadium of Light upon their return to the top flight but it’s simply a fact that newly-promoted clubs have given up a lot of points in recent years.
And so it’s only natural that Dream Team bosses managers will look at Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland for promising match-ups – at least initially.
Bowen racked up 277 points last season at an impressive average of 7.7 per game.
The England international scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 2024/25.
That boils down further to a goal involvement every 125.9 minutes.
He also ranked third for tackles and fourth for bonus points (among forwards).
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The 28-year-old has been a consistent performer for several years now and his individual output has rarely dipped, regardless of West Ham’s form.
Despite his excellent returns, engaged gaffers didn’t turn to Bowen until the final Gameweeks of the season in 2024/25.
Only then did his ownership rise to a figure befitting of a player who finished as the seventh-best performer in his position.
His popularity is limited due to the fact West Ham don’t have European fixtures to enhance their schedule but that will only be a relevant factor in September.
When it comes to domestic games, there are few players who rattle along at Bowen’s rate and so he should be considered a strong option for August, especially with Sunderland (a) in Gameweek 1.
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