West Ham are one of the lower-scoring sides in the Premier League this season, scoring 29 goals in 24 games so far.
Graham Potter’s side are averaging 13.8 shots per game which is the ninth highest in the division but have only generated 35.57 expected goals (xG) so far this term, ranking them 15th in the division in this metric.
This shows West Ham are not only creating poorer value shots than other teams, but they are also not finishing at a good enough level to offset that, underperforming their xG by -6.57.
The Hammers have been without a true striker for much of the season, with injuries to Michail Antonio and summer signing, Niclas Füllkrug, leaving much of the pressure on Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus once again.
Jarrod Bowen's & Mohammed Kudus' amazing partnership at West Ham
Last campaign, Bowen was on fire, making 44 appearances scoring 20 goals, providing ten assists and totaling 2,842 minutes, whilst Kudus made 45 appearances in his debut season, scoring 14 goals, providing six assists and totaling 3,511 minutes played.
Much of the attacking onus fell on the pair, with Bowen making 22 appearances as a centre-forward, showing the Hammers lack of a focal point.
This has carried over into this campaign, but the pair are struggling to have the same impact, providing less output for the side.
This season, Bowen has made 22 appearances scoring seven goals and providing four assists, whilst Kudus has appeared in 22 matches, netting just three times and supplying two assists.
The pair could clearly use a proven centre-forward to ease their pressure, and David Moyes reportedly wanted a certain striker who could have done just that back in 2023.
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West Ham missed out on amazing striker
It’s safe to say that West Ham’s luck in the striker market has been pretty appalling over the last few years.
From the likes of Gianluca Scamacca and Albian Ajeti to Fullkrug in the present day, nothing seems to quite click in the central attacking spot in the team. However, that could have been oh-so different two years ago.
Indeed, in the 2023 summer transfer window, Moyes and West Ham were reportedly very interested in Coventry striker, Viktor Gyokeres, with the manager personally scouting him on several occasions in the EFL.
However, when the 2023 summer window rolled around, Gyokeres made a shock £20m move to Portuguese giants, Sporting.
Since joining the club, the Sweden international has been nothing short of ridiculous having made 85 appearances, scoring 77 goals and providing 22 assists in 6,924 minutes played. The 26-year-old is now on 34 goals in 35 matches this term and is being touted as a £62.5m striker according to Transfermarkt, which would be a pretty sizable profit for Sporting.
Goals
1.20
0.37
0.16
Assists
0.26
0.18
0.11
xG
0.66
0.25
0.28
xAG
0.25
0.24
0.11
Progressive Carries
4.26
3.51
3.51
Progressive Passes
1.76
3.20
2.76
Shots Total
4.42
2.97
2.94
Goals/Shot
0.20
0.11
0.05
Key Passes
2.50
2.01
1.09
Shot-Creating Actions
3.82
4.23
4.02
When comparing Gyokeres’s underlying metrics with both Bowen and Kudus, you can clearly see the extra level of clinical finishing he would have provided.
He has a higher goals/shot ratio than both combined, scoring 1.20 goals per 90 and generating a higher xG per 90 than the Hammers wingers combined.
Gyokeres has been described as a ball-striking “monster” by Ben Mattinson, which has been further proven with his goal-scoring record in Portugal.
This is just one of the 26-year-old’s many elite qualities, including his ability to run the channels and manipulate the ball inside the box.
A front line consisting of Gyokeres, Bowen and Kudus could have been one of the most threatening in the Premier League, especially under Moyes in transition moments, playing in a deeper block and looking to hit teams on the break.
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