When discussions about the Premier League’s most underrated player arise, Jarrod Bowen’s name is rarely mentioned despite his remarkable consistency for West Ham United.
A sublime corner from Bowen in the West Ham vs Manchester City game yesterday levelled the scores, dealing a blow to Pep Guardiola in the Premier League title race and marking the Englishman’s sixth assist of the season and 14th goal contribution so far.
West Ham’s form has improved noticeably over the past eight games under Nuno Espírito Santo, with just one defeat, and much of that resurgence is thanks to Bowen, who has contributed six goals and assists in six games.
Accumulating 108 G/A in seven seasons in a league as difficult as the Premier League is no small feat. These figures show the importance of Jarrod Bowen to the West Ham team and also reveal how criminally underrated he has been since his move from Hull City.
The 2025/2026 Premier League season marks Jarrod Bowen’s seventh campaign in the league, and throughout that time, he has remained remarkably consistent for West Ham.
Despite playing for a club whose highest-ever Premier League finish since joining is sixth place, though they did lift the UEFA Conference League in the competition’s second edition in 2023, Bowen has been a reliable presence week after week.
This season, his performances only strengthen the argument that he is being overlooked as the Premier League’s most underrated player.
Even in their run to the UEFA Conference League triumph, he produced decisive numbers, registering six goals and two assists, famously scoring a 90th-minute winner in the final, playing a key role in helping West Ham break their 43-year wait for a significant piece of silverware.
His consistency and quality in a team that has often lacked the same level of talent around him naturally raises the question of what he might have achieved had he spent his prime years at one of England’s or Europe’s bigger clubs, surrounded by higher-calibre teammates and competing regularly at the very top level.
Premier League’s Most Underrated Player: The Case Of Jarrod Bowen
Bowen is the first West Ham player to be directly involved in 10+ Premier League goals for five consecutive seasons (2020–2025).
Despite him being named in various team of the year categories such as West Ham’s Hammer of the Year (2023/24), Players’ Player of the Season (2021/22), EA Sports Premier League Player of the Season (2021/22) and Premier League Fan Team of the Season (2024/25), the Englishman has never ended up in the official PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
Having already produced 20+ goal contributions in three of his seven Premier League seasons, Bowen continues to deliver goals, assists, and tireless performances this campaign, further cementing his case as the Premier League’s most underrated player.
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Statistical Comparison vs “Big Six” Stars
Since the start of the 2024/25 campaign, West Ham’s captain has consistently outperformed several high-profile England attackers in direct goal contributions.
Marcus Rashford
While on loan at Aston Villa from Manchester United, Marcus Rashford managed four goals in 17 appearances before securing another temporary move to FC Barcelona, who are reportedly close to striking a deal with United to make the deal permanent.
In Spain, Rashford’s scoring numbers improved, registering 10 goals in 38 appearances, but Jarrod Bowen still edges him in overall goal contributions.
The West Ham United winger finished last season with 13 league goals and has already reached eight this campaign, with eight matches remaining.
Bowen also provided nine assists, exceeding Rashford’s playmaking contributions during his final spell in England, in which he had five.
Jack Grealish
Even for a reborn Jack Grealish, despite his elite dribbling ability and knack for winning fouls, Jarrod Bowen has delivered a far more decisive end product.
The former Manchester City midfielder notably finished the entire 2024 calendar year without scoring a single goal for the club. In that same period, Bowen registered 17 goal involvements for West Ham United.
Since completing his move to Everton, Grealish has recorded two goals and six assists, but Bowen still leads the comparison with eight goals of his own.
Bukayo Saka
As of May 2025, Jarrod Bowen had scored 53 Premier League goals for West Ham United in 190 appearances, reaching the milestone quicker than Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, who required 192 matches to reach the same mark.
In the 2024/25 season alone, Bowen registered 22 goal involvements, 13 goals and 9 assists, surpassing Saka’s 16. The West Ham captain also outperformed the Arsenal winger in non-penalty goal contributions and overall finishing efficiency.
Across their careers, Bowen has also scored more than twice as many non-penalty goals as Saka, whose overall tally has been boosted more significantly by penalties.
Comparisons To Other English Attackers
It isn’t just the aforementioned English players that Jarrod Bowen has outperformed in terms of goal contributions this season, a record that further strengthens his case as the Premier League’s most underrated player.
Eberechi Eze (8), Cole Palmer (10), and Phil Foden (10) all trail Bowen, who is clear of that trio with four more goal involvements during this campaign.
Within West Ham’s squad, he leads almost every attacking metric, including shots, chances created, progressive carries, and passes into the penalty area.
He frequently outperforms his expected goals (xG). For instance, in the 2024/25 season, he was the only player to outperform his xG by more than two goals (+2.19), scoring three goals from just 0.8 xG.
Premier League’s Most Underrated Player: What Makes Bowen Stand Out?
The sheer will to never give up and a determination to make the most of every opportunity, the Leominster-born player rose to prominence after facing major setbacks from unsuccessful trials with Aston Villa and Cardiff City that nearly saw him walk away from football entirely.
From playing Sunday league football to performing in the English top-flight, he has built a reputation as one of the league’s most relentless and hard-working attackers, a rise that has strengthened his case as the Premier League’s most underrated player.
He is not built in the mould of Eden Hazard, even if he shares a similarly low centre of gravity.
He is not the most naturally skilful winger, though he still has a few clever tricks in his locker, and he is not the quickest player either.
However, overall, his intelligence, work rate, and ability to deliver decisive moments make him one of the most effective and reliable attackers in the Premier League.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Action Plus
Recording Date: 14.03.2026
