Jarrod Bowen cut a frustrated figure after West Ham United’s 3-0 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest, and admitted he and the team know that things have to get better in all areas of the pitch in the remainder of the 2024/25 season.
There was little between the sides until Chris Wood hit his eighth goal of the campaign to put Forest in front shortly before the half-hour, before a red card for Edson Álvarez on the stroke of half-time steepened the Hammers’ task.
Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ola Aina strikes in the second period put the result beyond doubt, and though he recognised the impact of the numerical disadvantage, captain Bowen insisted that each member of the squad needs to do better, whether they are playing with a full complement of players or not.
“It’s not good enough and obviously, when you go down to ten men, it makes it harder again,” he told Premier League Productions. “Going in 1-0 down at the break with eleven men, we knew we would still have been in the game, but with ten, obviously it was even more difficult. But those are the circumstances that we were in, and it was important at 1-0, it's only one goal. They've obviously got a man more, but it's about being clever and not conceding, but we didn't manage to do that and in the end we conceded two and it could have been more so it’s frustrating, for sure.
“The start of the game was quite open. We had a couple of chances, including one that they cleared off the line from Lucas [Paquetá]. They obviously scored the goal, which we're disappointed with, as it was quite an easy goal to concede. But, like I said, when it’s with ten men, it's even more difficult.
“I think the first ten minutes of the second half we were in their half and we were sticking in there, and then there was a deflection for the second goal as it came off a defender’s head, which was a real sucker blow. But it was important then not to just give up. It was to just try and keep fighting as hard as we could, but ultimately we didn't do that.”
While West Ham’s defending away from home has not been good this year, with just one clean sheet on the road in the Premier League in 2024, their attacking play away from London Stadium has also been found wanting at times this season.
The Irons have scored just five goals in five away games, compared to eight at home, and created just four goal attempts at the City Ground. Bowen knows that output has to improve.
“We need to scrub up [our play in the final third] for sure, and that's something we know,” he continued. “Myself as an attacking player, I’m part of that and I know that as well. Like I said, defensively, we've done well in the first half. Obviously, we conceded a goal, but we still limited them, but we have work to do going forward in the final third.”
West Ham host Everton next Saturday in their final Premier League game before the November international break. With 24 goals conceded in 12 games in all competitions and Mohammed Kudus and Álvarez both unavailable due to suspension, the skipper knows nothing less than 100 per cent focus from him and his teammates will be enough to secure three points.
“I think we've got to accept the defeat and understand the feeling and how we're all feeling now, we have to go forward and not want this feeling again,” he concluded. “We've been on the receiving end of a lot of defeats by a lot of goals, so we need to look at ourselves as players. I think that's a given, but I think we've got to accept this feeling, accept it today, move on tomorrow and in the last game before the international break we have to put it right and that's it.”
