Perhaps the most fearsome thing about Jarrod Bowen right now is that – despite taking his tally to six goals and five assists as West Ham United thrashed Lincoln City – the skipper does not appear to have really gotten out of second gear.

Yes, Bowen’s Championship record is nothing short of outstanding. He is averaging over a goal and assist every single match at the moment. Yet, the nagging feeling is that we still haven’t seen the best of a forward many have labelled the best to ever grace the Championship.

Only 18 minutes after Austbo left Lincoln keeper George Wickens grasping at thin air – his thumping drive clattering in off the crossbar – the Norway Under-21 international set up Pablo’s first league goal in West Ham colours with a well-placed corner.

If Bowen’s record of a goal or assist every 81 minutes is impressive, then Austbo’s average of a goal or assist every 49 minutes is truly outrageous. Unbeatable, too, at the present moment. One start, less than 200 minutes of Championship football, yet the jet-heeled wideman has four goal contributions already. A goal and an assist apiece off the bench against both Derby and Lincoln.

Callum Robinson, Cardiff City’s experienced forward, is the closest to him in the league rankings. He averages a goal contribution every 55 minutes. Swansea City winger Eom Ji-Sung [75 minutes] is keeping Bowen off the podium for now.

Wolves veteran Raul Jimenez, Norwich talisman Mo Toure, Swansea striker Adam Idah, and Birmingham City duo Demarai Gray and Liam Millar are the only other players averaging a goal or an assist in less than 100 minutes of action. Plus Bowen, of course.

Austbo delighted with his contribution to Lincoln City battering

For context, Golden Boot-pacesetter Will Lankshear has an average of 105. Joel Piroe is on 127 at present, trailing Cardiff City midfielder Jack Moylan but ahead of Zan Vipotnik, the Championship’s top scorer for 2026/27.

“I was itching to get out there and play, and I’m really happy to get the goal. I’ve been waiting for a little while now, so it was fun,” Austbo said after the Hammers climbed back up to third in the table. “I just tried to get in and get some shots off in the half that I played. So I’m really happy I got one, and a good one!”

“Happy, happy for Edvin,” Nuno added. “[The way he scored the goal off the left] is something that he does really well. We need that type of confidence. One-v-one, he’s good, and we need to take advantage of it.”

Of course, Austbo is extremely unlikely to maintain these sort of numbers across an entire campaign. The more he features from the start – which is surely more likely now after a handful of devastating cameo performances – those numbers will not look quite so impressive.

But as it stands, for just £12 million, West Ham have landed themselves a game-changing supersub capable of turning narrow leads into comfortable victories.