West Ham United have struggled with goal-scoring throughout the current Premier League season, registering just 29 goals in 24 matches. Despite averaging 13.8 shots per game—the ninth-highest in the division—their underlying statistics reveal a worrying lack of efficiency. With only 35.57 expected goals (xG), the Hammers rank 15th in this metric, suggesting that not only are they failing to create high-quality chances, but they are also underperforming in converting the opportunities they do have. West Ham’s xG deficit stands at -6.57, indicating that they are missing a significant number of chances relative to what their play suggests they should score.
A major factor in this underperformance has been the absence of a reliable striker for much of the campaign. Injuries to Michail Antonio and the summer arrival of Niclas Füllkrug have left the team reliant on wingers like Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus to fill the attacking void. This scenario mirrors last season, where the attacking load fell heavily on Bowen and Kudus.
Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus: A Striking Partnership
Last season, Bowen was in fantastic form, making 44 appearances across all competitions, scoring 20 goals and providing ten assists. Kudus, in his debut season, also had a productive year, with 14 goals and six assists in 45 appearances. Both players logged substantial minutes—Bowen with 2,842 and Kudus with 3,511—which reflected the heavy reliance on them in attack. Bowen, in particular, was often deployed as a center-forward, a position that highlighted West Ham’s lack of a traditional focal point in the attacking third.
However, this season, despite starting 22 matches each, both Bowen and Kudus have struggled to replicate their previous output. Bowen has netted just seven goals and contributed four assists, while Kudus has managed a modest three goals and two assists. The drop in production from both players has highlighted the team’s ongoing struggles in attack, reinforcing the notion that West Ham urgently need a proven striker to relieve the burden on their wide attackers.
A Missed Opportunity for West Ham
West Ham’s challenges in the striker market have been well-documented, with several high-profile moves in recent years failing to yield the desired results. Players such as Gianluca Scamacca, Albian Ajeti, and even Füllkrug have not been able to provide the attacking consistency West Ham have desperately sought. However, there was one opportunity that could have significantly altered their fortunes.
During the 2023 summer transfer window, West Ham were reportedly keen on signing Coventry City striker Viktor Gyökeres, with manager David Moyes personally scouting the Swedish forward. However, Gyökeres made a surprising £20 million move to Sporting CP in Portugal, a transfer that has since proven to be a massive success for the Portuguese giants. Since joining Sporting, Gyökeres has been in sensational form, scoring 77 goals and providing 22 assists in 85 appearances. His goal-scoring record has continued this season, with the 26-year-old currently on 34 goals in 35 matches, further elevating his value to a reported £62.5 million by Transfermarkt.
Comparing Gyökeres with Bowen and Kudus
To fully appreciate the impact Gyökeres could have had at West Ham, it’s useful to compare his statistics with those of Bowen and Kudus during the 2024/25 season. Below are the key metrics per 90 minutes:
As the table reveals, Gyökeres not only outperforms both Bowen and Kudus in terms of goals per 90 minutes (1.20 compared to 0.37 and 0.16, respectively) but also has a higher goals-to-shots ratio, scoring 1 goal for every 4.42 shots. This is significantly more efficient than Bowen and Kudus, who score once every 9.09 and 19.4 shots, respectively. Moreover, Gyökeres generates more xG per 90 minutes (0.66) than the combined totals of Bowen and Kudus, who are at 0.53.
Gyökeres’s clinical finishing, coupled with his ability to carry the ball forward and link play, would have added a much-needed focal point to West Ham’s attack. Described as a “monster” in front of goal by football analyst Ben Mattinson, Gyökeres is known for his lethal ball-striking ability and movement in the box—traits that Bowen and Kudus have lacked this season. His pace and intelligence in the channels would have dovetailed well with the dynamic attacking play of the West Ham wingers, making the trio of Gyökeres, Bowen, and Kudus a potentially devastating force, especially in transition under Moyes’s counter-attacking system.
The Road Ahead for West Ham
West Ham’s struggles in front of goal have been one of the defining issues of their 2024/25 campaign, and while Bowen and Kudus remain talented players, it’s clear that the team is crying out for a proven center-forward to take the pressure off them. The failure to land Gyökeres in 2023 represents a missed opportunity, as his remarkable form at Sporting suggests he could have been the difference-maker West Ham so desperately need.
With the January transfer window now behind them, it remains to be seen whether Moyes and the West Ham hierarchy will address this issue in future windows, but for now, it’s clear that the Hammers’ attacking woes will continue to hinder their ambitions until they find a reliable goal-scorer to lead the line.
He’s now outscoring Bowen & Kudus: West Ham nearly signed “monster” striker for £20m under Moyes
