After sixth and seventh place finishes in consecutive seasons, West Ham have endured a challenging start to their 2022/23 campaign.
In fact, they’ve just won and lost four of their six EPL matches to date, leaving the Hammers mired in 18th place and the relegation zone. So, while you can bet with FortuneJack at extended odds that West Ham can reach the European places once again, this won’t happen without a reversal in form.
But can the Hammers improve this season, and if so, how? Let’s get into it in the article below!
The Story so Far
West Ham have heavily backed manager David Moyes in the transfer market, with nine new players bought in at a combined cost of more than £160 million.
This includes stellar signings like Lucas Paqueta and Gianluca Scamacca, with the former having been linked with Manchester City as a potential replacement for Bernardo Silva during the summer.
However, not all of these players were in place in time for the EPL opener, with a clearly unsettled and transitioning Hammers team losing their first three league matches to Manchester City, newly-promoted Nottingham Forest and high-flying Brighton.
While they reversed the run with a 1-0 win at fellow strugglers Aston Villa, they did so by reverting to a defensive back-five and adopting an incredibly cautious, counter-attacking style.
Since then, West Ham have held Spurs to a draw at home before losing 2-1 to Chelsea in a controversial match, in which VAR disallowed a perfectly good goal following an alleged foul by forward Jarrod Bowen.
Are West Ham on the Up?
It looked as though the Hammers were facing further turbulence in midweek, as the side fell to a shock first-half deficit against Romanian minnows FCSB in their opening Europa Conference League match.
However, a spirited second-half comeback saw the Hammers overturn Andrei Cordea’s 34th-minute opener, as West Ham dominated possession and recorded more than 20 attempts on goal.
It was Bowen himself who equalised with a penalty on the hour, before new left-back Emerson struck an excellent goal 14 minutes later.
Powerful forward Michail Antonio added some gloss with a stoppage time third, providing a much needed boost and shot of confidence ahead of their next EPL match at home against Newcastle United.
But are the Hammers really on the up? Well, the recent win will undoubtedly afford them a sense of confidence, while the way in which they controlled possession suggested that their attacking play is starting to improve.
Key players like Bowen, Antonio and the metronomic Declan Rice also appear to be returning to form, which should help to propel West Ham up the table in the coming months.
The remaining challenge will be to successfully integrate the Hammers’ swathe of new stars, and it will take time for Moyes’ new-look squad to gel and play to their optimal potential.
Still, the only way is up for West Ham, and the hope remains that they can enjoy another highly successful season and potential cup run.
