MY ACCOUNT
West Ham’s season has been full of highs — but Sunday’s result may have just topped the lot.
David Moyes’ men made the rest of the Premier League sit up and take notice with a stunning 3-2 victory over title-chasing Liverpool in front of a jubilant London Stadium.
It saw them leapfrog the Reds into the dizzy heights of third in the table just three points behind first-placed Chelsea, while they are also unbeaten in their first-ever Europa League campaign and have reached the Carabao Cup quarter-final.
So, how far can the Hammers go this season?
Moyes magic
When West Ham reappointed Moyes in December 2019 with the club languishing in 17th, the club’s ownership trio of David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady were accused of lacking ambition.
After initially ditching the Scot to “go in a different direction” with Manuel Pellegrini 18 months prior, many supporters were underwhelmed to see him back in the hotseat.
The 58-year-old made his name during a successful spell at Everton but had seen his reputation damaged somewhat by disappointing tenures in charge of Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland.
For that reason, it was seen by some sections of the Hammers’ fanbase as a backwards step.
Joint-chairman Sullivan said of Moyes upon his return: “David proved in his short time with the club that he was capable of getting results and we believe he will start moving the club in the right direction once again.”
While that statement was questioned at the time, Moyes has certainly proved it to be right on the money.
Flying high
After achieving the minimum brief of Premier League survival in his first season, no one could have envisaged the 18 months that have followed.
The Hammers started last campaign with a new-found resilience and team spirit that had not been on display in East London for some time.
With Declan Rice and new arrival Tomas Soucek forming an excellent central midfield partnership, right-back turned striker Michail Antonio scoring goals for fun and January loan signing Jesse Lingard having an impact, West Ham threatened the Champions League spots for a long time.
Though they did eventually fall away, a sixth-place finish was their highest since 1999 and enough for a Europa League berth.
Given the unique nature of that season — with the majority of it being played behind closed doors and a jam-packed schedule affecting some teams more than others — fans could be forgiven for thinking their achievement was a one-off that they should treasure before normality resumes.
But Moyes had no such thoughts.
After achieving a record points total of 65, he said: “We want to build West Ham up and we want to keep doing it. I see a great chance to go further and make it bigger and better.
“I hope that the standards we’ve set this year will continue as we’ve had such a good year and we don’t want to be at the bottom any more.”
European dream
Alongside the fine form they have continued in the Premier League this season, West Ham’s first-ever Europa League campaign has been close to faultless.
The Hammers won their opening three games in a continental tournament proper for the first time in their history.
They did not concede a goal in the convincing victories over Dinamo Zagreb, Rapid Vienna and Genk before maintaining their unbeaten record in 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture against the Belgian outfit.
After taking to European football with ease, the Hammers are now one of the favourites to go all the way.
And star man Rice says their success is all down to the team spirit in the group and the positive environment Moyes has created.
After their Dinamo Zagreb win, he said: “We have got such a great group of lads. It is a real special group.
“It is a place you enjoy coming to, you enjoy coming to work. You can see we will give everything for the manager and for each other on the pitch.
“That is why we are doing really well at the moment.”
Title challengers?
Having already claimed the scalps of Leicester, Manchester United, Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool this season, West Ham are flying high.
That victory over City also spectacularly ended Pep Guardiola’s four-year stranglehold on the Carabao Cup, which the Hammers will fancy themselves for glory in too with the competition entering its final stages.
The core players from that successful previous season are still impressing, while the form of Pablo Fornals, Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma has added flair to their hard-working unit.
The signing of Kurt Zouma has also proved a shrewd addition to the Hammers’ defence but the man in charge is undoubtedly the mastermind behind their rise.
So with Chelsea, City and Liverpool all dropping points in recent weeks and United nowhere to be seen, can the Hammers invoke the spirit of Leicester in 2016 and mount an unlikely title tilt?
For Moyes, that seems a step too far currently but he does think his team could still be destined for great things this campaign.
After the Liverpool victory on Sunday, he said: “I want to be really positive all the time, I would like to say that is what we can do but I don’t see that at the moment.
“We missed out on Champions League football by two points — so why can we not be there?
“We are not getting carried away but it is feeling good at the moment.”
With six players already playing more than 15 times this season, a relentless schedule as they fight on three fronts could prove the biggest stumbling block.
Premier League ever-present Angelo Ogbonna is the first key man West Ham have lost, with the defender picking up an ACL injury against the Reds.
But Moyes has made West Ham fans dream again after years of decline and, if they can stay relatively injury-free, silverware and Champions League football are no longer ambitions beyond the realms of possibility.
