Would Mohamed Salah Start for West Ham Over Jarrod Bowen? A Tactical and Talent-Focused Debate
In modern Premier League football, few debates are as intriguing as comparing two elite right-sided forwards: Mohamed Salah and Jarrod Bowen. Both have been central to their clubs’ identities—Salah at Liverpool as a global superstar and Bowen at West Ham as the beating heart of their attack. The question is deceptively simple yet tactically layered: Would Mohamed Salah start for West Ham over Jarrod Bowen?
The short answer is yes—but the long answer reveals why the conversation is more nuanced than it first appears.
Salah’s Pedigree and Profile
Mohamed Salah is one of the greatest Premier League forwards of the past decade. His output has been astonishing: goals, assists, creativity, and relentless threat. Salah isn’t just productive; he bends opposition defensive structures around his movement. Teams sit deeper. Full-backs hesitate to overlap. Centre-backs shade his side. His presence alone warps the game.
Beyond his stats, Salah’s reliability is unmatched. Season after season, he hits elite numbers. Whether cutting inside onto his left foot, running in behind, pressing from the front, or acting as a quasi-playmaker, Salah is an all-phase forward. He can be the finisher, the creative link, or the transition engine. Very few players in world football carry such a complete attacking profile.
If any club—West Ham included—had the opportunity to field a player of Salah’s calibre, they would reshuffle the attack to accommodate him. Managers build systems around players like Salah; he is a system-shaping talent.
Bowen’s Importance and Evolution
However, dismissing Bowen as an easy casualty would be unfair. The England winger has grown into one of the Premier League’s most consistent wide forwards. His energy, work rate, press resistance, and knack for scoring in big moments make him indispensable to West Ham’s identity.
Bowen’s movement into central pockets, his willingness to track back, and his rapid acceleration in transition are perfectly aligned with West Ham’s counter-attacking DNA. Under David Moyes—and later under more progressive setups—Bowen has shown he’s not just a hardworking winger but a clutch goalscorer. His finishing, particularly off his left foot, mirrors some of Salah’s own strengths, albeit at a different scale.
He is not only a fan favourite but the tactical glue the side relies on.
Would Salah Actually Replace Bowen?
In a straightforward positional depth chart: yes, Salah starts over Bowen on the right wing. Salah is simply the better, more complete player, with a world-class ceiling Bowen does not quite reach.
But here’s where the nuance lies:
Bowen wouldn’t be dropped—he’d be repositioned.
Bowen has proven effective across the frontline, especially as a central forward. His ability to run channels, press defenders, and finish clinically makes him a natural fit to operate as a striker or even as an inside-right forward in a three-man attack. With Salah on the right, Bowen could shift centrally, where he has already performed well during key spells.
This creates a front line with versatility, pressing energy, and goal threat from every angle.
Salah’s creative gravity would also benefit Bowen. With defenders pulled toward the Egyptian, Bowen would find more space to exploit, turning him into an even more dangerous outlet.
The Verdict
So, does Mohamed Salah start for West Ham over Jarrod Bowen?
Absolutely—but not at Bowen’s expense.
Instead, West Ham’s attack becomes more potent, flexible, and devastating with both players on the pitch.
Salah brings world-class quality. Bowen brings tireless work rate, positional versatility, and a keen eye for goal. Together, they would form one of the Premier League’s most dangerous attacking duos.
In football, the best managers don’t choose between great players—they find ways to make them flourish together.
