A year after falling narrowly short of his first European final, West Ham United’s joint all-time top European scorer is determined not to let history repeat itself this season.
Of course, lessons have been learnt from West Ham’s narrow defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Europa League semi-final last term. And, a year on, Jarrod Bowen, with plenty more experience for Club and now a full England international, is determined to get West Ham over the line.
Alongside his teammates, the task is set once more, then. Tonight, the first leg of a UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final against AZ Alkmaar, is a chance for the Club to take a huge step towards a memorable feat. A first European final since 1976 is the target. And Bowen’s game face, as always, is on, make no mistake.
Such occasions should not be underestimated, though. And the achievement to reach this stage of a European competition swept under the rug. After all, who would have thought that when Bowen walked through the door on January deadline day back in 2020, the No20 would find himself preparing for a second successive European semi-final three years down the line? Bowen certainly didn’t. Neither did many – if any – in Claret and Blue.
And yet, here we are. The last two years have seen the Club balancing both domestic and continental commitments into May for a second straight year. It is some achievement. And one that has seen Bowen, David Moyes and West Ham – fans, staff and players alike – adapt, and quickly too.
Clearly, then, West Ham’s, and Bowen’s, experience of European football has been learnt rapidly. And the battling forward admits that his first exploits into European football was a journey into the unknown. For everyone.
A 2021/22 UEFA Europa League campaign that took the Claret and Blue Army to Croatia, Austria, Belgium, and Spain, and saw wins against Sevilla and Lyon in knockouts has been an experience used to attack the Conference League this term.
This time around then, as was the case last year, Bowen has been one of the players to lead the charge in Europe under Moyes. And having brought up his 150th West Ham appearance against Crystal Palace last month, Bowen has even had time to make a bit more history this year. As it stands, the England forward’s three goals in the Europa League and five to date in the UEFA Europa Conference League is a total of eight no Hammer has bettered in continental football across the Club’s 128-year history. Bowen moved past Michail Antonio, David Cross and Johnny Byrne as his brace helped the Hammers to a 4-0 victory over AEK Larnaca, with the No20 now level with Antonio ahead of tonight’s tie following our triumph against KAA Gent – and the No9’s neat double. “I’m over the moon,” Bowen exclaimed at the time, “My old man made me aware of it before the game actually and it’s really nice to be able to have that record.”
As such, consistency had been key for the No20 this season, then. Goals in the Premier and League have followed, although it is in Europe where the No20 has really made his mark.
Goal contributions against Viborg FF, RSC Anderlecht, FCSB, AEK Larnaca and KAA Gent have seen Bowen lead a West Ham side to record nine wins and one draw in Europe this term.
But he won't want to stop there. With a ten-game unbeaten record to protect, like everyone packed into the London Stadium tonight, Bowen is focused, ready, and desperate to see a European final marked on his schedule come 7 June.
Sunday's win over Manchester United was massive, particularly coming into this semi-final.
When I think back to the Gent game (second leg) that we had, we had Arsenal on the Sunday before [and fought back to draw 2-2] which gave us a lot of confidence coming into it, so Sunday's result was obviously massive for the Club and it's given us a lot of confidence going into Thursday night's game.
I think we can use it a springboard to help us on Thursday night, but we know it's going to be a difficult game.
We're at home first, so we can use that to our advantage with our fans and the atmosphere that I know that they're going to create.
Of course, we want to go one or two steps further than we did last season, but we know the task at hand.
It's going to be a difficult fixture. You don't get into a semi-final if you're a bad team, so we know we're going to be in for a tough game over the two legs, but we feel ready and we're full of confidence going into the tie.
It would be massive for everyone associated [with the Club if we could win the Conference League] and that's our aim and our ambition.
There is still a long way to go, though. We've got two legs to get through, but of course we want to win the competition.
I think we can learn from last year's semi-final experience, but it's also exciting at the same time as well because we're in a European semi-final and you're so close to achieving something that you want to achieve for the for the whole Club.
So yes, we can learn a lot, not just from the Frankfurt game but from all the knockout games that we had.
I think we've done really well in the knockout games that we've had this year to get to the stage that we're at now. And starting tomorrow night, it's about doing exactly the same things.
We have been here last year, but this year we want to go one step further and not lose in the semi-final and that's our aim.
I'm not going to lie and tell you I know everyone about AZ, but we've done our prep, we've watched them and seen what they're good at and what we can potentially exploit in their game.
Like I said, they're in semi final, they've beaten some big clubs to get here, so we know it's going to be a difficult game because you don't get handed a semi-final spot.
The last couple of years we've been doing well, but even when we've lost games we've managed to keep spirits high and that belief in the changing room.
Of course, what's happened this season has hurt and we haven't enjoyed it, but we've used that character that we've got in the dressing room to get us out of the position that we needed to get out of. In Europe, we've used it as well and we're in another semi-final.
It's been a difficult season, but we're looking forward to Thursday night.
I think I've always been hard on myself before praising myself and I've always been that way.
For me, it's not been the season that I wanted, but we're in that situation that we're in and it's not one of those to sulk about or be down about because you've got to give your all for this for this Club.
That's what I try and do every single week and I always know that goals and assists will come with my game and it's about playing my game that I know I can play.
The first half of the season, I wasn't happy with my performances, and I've been quite open and honest about that. But I think in the second half of the season, I feel like I've been to back to a level where I'm happy with so now for me at the end of the season, it's [all about] trying to get this Club into the final and obviously staying in the Premier League.
I've only been here three years but I feel a massive part of this Club and almost a fan as well.
So, I know how much it means to the fans and I want to give them that success.
My partner's old man [Danny Dyer] is obviously on me every week, but I feel that from everyone at the whole Club and obviously I want to win a trophy and bring a good end to a bad season.
I wouldn't say it's pressure. It's more excitement to do it for the fans. I want to do it. I want to score the winning goal and take us to the final, then I'd be more than happy.
