West Ham have named their confirmed starting XI for the Premier League clash against Wolves at Molineux, with David Moyes making the call to drop Michail Antonio.

Instead, Jarrod Bowen is the man chosen to lead the line, with Edson Alvarez deemed fit to start alongside Thomas Soucek and James Ward-Prowse in midfield, with Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus the wide options.The forward was dubbed “excellent” by Alan Shearer following his goalscoring display against Aston Villa on 17 March, before he went on to score again against Newcastle, finding his form once more.

David Moyes gets Michail Antonio call wrong in West Ham v Wolves

Antonio’s withdrawal against Newcastle kickstarted the 4-3 defeat, and after a spell in which he has scored two goals in his last three games, the decision to cut him from the starting XI seems a bizarre call for Moyes to have made.

While his performance against Tottenham left a lot to be desired as the striker missed a huge chance to fire West Ham ahead, the way he leads the line can often prove vital to this side, and his presence up front could be a huge miss.

The inclusion of Bowen as the main striker also points to a return to a more counter-attacking style away from home, despite the positives in front of goal with Antonio starting in recent weeks.

The Jamaican has also been linked with a move away from the London Stadium this summer, and he could be tempted to walk away if Bowen becomes the preferred number nine under Moyes, as Frank McAvennie told West Ham Zone.

The return of Alvarez is good news for the Hammers, however, as they will look to sure up the midfield and plug what has been a leaky defence in his absence, with his shielding play in the middle of the park a huge part of Moyes’ structure.

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