David Moyes has openly declared that Michail Antonio is no longer the primary choice at West Ham, and now he needs to stand by his convictions. Since his signing for just £7.5 million from Notts Forest in 2015, Antonio has been an outstanding asset for West Ham. He has delivered remarkable goals, adapted to various positions, and contributed significantly to the Hammers.
However, West Ham supporters have long held the opinion that Antonio’s days as a Premier League striker are behind him. He has been notably ineffective this season and hasn’t scored a goal since August. Therefore, when David Moyes benched Antonio for the Carabao Cup match against Arsenal, opting for Jarrod Bowen as the forward, supported by Mohammed Kudus and Said Benrahma, it was met with little surprise but great interest.
The consensus after that memorable 3-1 victory was that Moyes had discovered the solution for a West Ham team without the powerful presence of Antonio. This marked a transition to a new style of play, what some might call “Moyes-ball 2.0,” something that the Hammers had been in need of for some time. In fact, Moyes himself acknowledged this evolution after the game.
However, it’s one thing to express these intentions, and another to act upon them. Moyes mentioned the change in the striker situation ahead of the weekend game against Brentford, indicating that Jarrod Bowen might become the new No. 9. Yet, when Moyes reinstated Antonio in the starting lineup against Brentford, it backfired spectacularly. Antonio’s unbelievable miss from close range was widely seen as the moment that cost West Ham the game, eventually leading to a 3-2 loss.
Moyes making statements about Bowen becoming the new first-choice striker is one thing, but truly following through with it is another challenge. Even if it upsets Antonio, who is nearly 34 and has been struggling to score, it’s time to move forward. Moyes should let go of any small-club mentality concerning the Antonio situation and embrace the fresh and daring West Ham side that showed promise, particularly in the second half of the game against Arsenal.
In summary, David Moyes has made it clear that Michail Antonio’s time as the primary striker at West Ham is over, and now he needs to have the courage to stick to his decision, even if it means upsetting Antonio. West Ham fans believe it’s time to move on and embrace a new era for the club.