Gary Lineker Makes Bold West Ham Prediction Despite Aston Villa Loss

England legend Gary Lineker has singled out West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen for praise after his side’s 3-2 loss against Aston Villa on Sunday, and said they’d have “no chance” of survival without him.

Bowen scored in the 24th minute to give West Ham the lead at the London Stadium.

But it was not enough for victory, as Aston Villa roared back with two second half goals to claim all three points.

The result keeps Villa within three points of Premier League leaders Arsenal, and leaves West Ham 18th, now winless in five league games.

But while some are suggesting West Ham are heading for relegation, there is still plenty of football to be played.

Just two wins could easily lift Nuno Espirito Santo’s side out of the drop zone, and any upturn in form could quickly steer them clear of danger.

Their season so far has been marred by fan anger at the club’s leadership.

Reinforcements in January are desperately needed, with West Ham linked to Taty Castellanos from Lazio among others.

But there have been signs of life from the struggling side, despite poor results.

And none have embodied that fighting spirit like West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen.

Gary Lineker Praises West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen

Bowen’s defiant performances this season have earned plenty of plaudits, including 1986 World Cup Golden Boot winner, Gary Lineker.

The former Match Of The Day host spoke about Bowen on his podcast “The Rest Is Football.”

According to Lineker, Bowen is the only thing keeping West Ham out of the Championship.

“West Ham would be hopeless [without Bowen],” he said.

“They’d have no chance of staying up if it weren’t for Bowen. I think because of him, they’ll be ok.”

How Important Is Jarrod Bowen To West Ham?

With West Ham’s attack struggling, they have managed just 19 goals in the Premier League – the fourth-lowest of any side.

Bowen has needed to step up while others have faltered, and has performed admirably.

But football is a team game, and it’s clear that he needs help to keep West Ham up.

Not only do the club desperately need a striker, they cannot afford for Bowen to pick up an injury.

The 28-year-old has scored five and assisted one of West Ham’s 19 goals in the Premier League this season.

Jarrod Bowen becomes the second West Ham player to reach 100 goal involvements in the Premier League:

⚽️ 61 goals
️ 39 assists

A true hero for the club ⚒ pic.twitter.com/LBnRVDwBKW

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 14, 2025

This means he has been directly involved in around a third of the team’s goals, while his creativity and movement will have played a part in many more.

Bowen has so far managed 79 goals and 53 assists in 255 West Ham appearances.

Excellent numbers for a primarily wide player in a bottom-half Premier League team.

But West Ham’s reliance on him could easily be their downfall, especially if he becomes unavailable.

They must therefore make every effort to sign some reinforcements in January.

If not, it will take an almighty effort from Bowen to drag his team over the line in the relegation battle.