Jarrod Bowen: We must take responsibility, get ourselves in shape first, and then go all out to achieve our goal of returning to the Premier League.

West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen has admitted that despite a 3-0 victory over Leeds United in the final round of the 2025/26 season, the team ultimately failed to avoid relegation. He scored the team's second goal at the London Stadium, helping them secure the win, while Tati Castellanos and Callum Wilson also contributed goals. However, West Ham's hopes of avoiding relegation were dashed after Tottenham Hotspur's 1-0 win over Everton.  

At the end of the season, West Ham United finished 18th with 39 points, two points behind Tottenham Hotspur, and were ultimately relegated, ending their 14-year Premier League campaign. Jarrod Bowen said: "Today's result is far from enough, and we are all very saddened for the fans and the club. We have been hoping for better results in other games and knew that we could have improved things in the past few weeks. We knew we had to win today to keep our hopes alive, but ultimately we failed to do so."  

"Looking at the whole season, we spent most of our time in the relegation zone, which reflects that the team has not reached the level it has established in the past few years. Last season we barely avoided relegation, and we thought we could start over this season, but now we have been relegated."  

"This sense of disappointment is very strong because I have witnessed the club's history of success. I also know that everyone involved with the club must be feeling very bad. We can only apologize to the fans because the team did not achieve its expected goals. As for the result, there is nothing to comfort or praise."  

Despite the disappointing result, West Ham United still received strong support from their fans during their match against Leeds United, with many remaining in the stands after the game to interact with and say goodbye to the players. Jarrod Bowen thanked the fans and stated that the team would quickly refocus on their goal of returning to the Premier League.  

Jarrod Bowen added: “I’ve been here for six and a half years, and many of my family members are West Ham fans. I know how important this club is to the city, so it’s really heartbreaking not to achieve our goal. This feeling will last for a while, but as players, we have to take responsibility, go out and adjust our form, and then fully prepare to lead this club back to the Premier League, where it deserves to be.”  

"This should be our common goal and consistent direction. What we can do right now is to react as quickly as possible and bounce back, and hopefully by this time next year, the team will be back in the Premier League."  

Image source: Internet/West Ham United official website