Football writer Alex Keble assesses each Premier League club and their prospects for the 2024/25 season.
West Ham United
David Moyes was an excellent West Ham United manager yet supporters are excited – and relieved - that a new era has begun.
Fans have long wanted a more adventurous head coach befitting the club’s history and Moyes just couldn’t provide it.
But there’s a problem. Julen Lopetegui is not known for playing exciting attacking football. West Ham have moved to possession football that is arguably just as conservative, and just as dry, as what went before.
Performance last season
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
38 | +14 | 63 |
| 7 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
38 | +23 | 60 |
| 8 |
Man Utd
MUN
|
38 | -1 | 60 |
| 9 |
West Ham
WHU
|
38 | -14 | 52 |
| 10 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
38 | -1 | 49 |
FA Cup: Quarter-final
EFL Cup: Third round
UEFA Europa League: Quarter-final
Last five seasons
| Season | League position |
|---|---|
| 2019/20 | 16th |
| 2020/21 | 6th |
| 2021/22 | 7th |
| 2022/23 | 14th |
| 2023/24 | 9th |
Best Premier League finish
Fifth: 1998/99
See: More about West Ham's history
Season aims
Pushing for a European spot is surely the brief for Lopetegui, and with a squad as talented as West Ham’s there is no reason why they can’t do it.
The primary goal, however, is to bring a more entertaining and forward-thinking style to the London Stadium. The mission isn’t just to get into Europe. It’s to do it in style.
Key transfers
A flurry of recent activity has put West Ham in a strong position. Niclas Fullkrug, a big hit in the Champions League and Euro 2024, could finally be the goalscoring striker the Hammers have spent years searching for.
West Ham's key transfers
| Player | Transfer type | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Said Benrahma |  Transfer Out |
Olympique Lyonnais |
| Maximilian Kilman |  Transfer In |
Wolves |
| Crysencio Summerville | Transfer In |
Leeds |
| Niclas Fullkrug | Transfer In |
Borussia Dortmund |
| Guido Rodriguez | Transfer In |
- |
| Jean-Clair Todibo | Loan In |
Nice |
| Aaron Wan-Bissaka | Transfer In |
Man Utd |
Maximilian Kilman, Jean-Clair Todibo and Crysencio Summerville, who contributed 28 goals or assists for Leeds United last season, are very good signings too. The addition of Aaron Wan-Bissaka further strengthens the new-look defence.
Tactics
Utilising a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, Lopetegui teams are built on slow possession that aims to win through suffocation. His is risk-averse football of a different sort to Moyes’s.
It means few goals conceded – and few scored. Lopetegui’s Real Madrid and Sevilla sides scored 181 goals in 131 matches, or 1.38 a match, whereas Moyes’s West Ham scored 248 goals in 169 Premier League encounters in his second spell as manager, at a higher rate of 1.47 per match.
Injury report
| Player | Injury | Latest update |
|---|---|---|
| Edson Alvarez | - | Details |
Pre-season results and fixtures
15 July Ferencvaros 2-2 West Ham Report
20 July Dagenham & Redbridge 0-1 West Ham Report
28 July West Ham 1-3 Wolves Report
4 Aug Crystal Palace 3-1 West Ham Report
10 Aug v Celta Vigo (H) Details
Best XI (4-2-3-1)
Alphonse Areola; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, Maximilian Kilman, Emerson, Edson Alvarez; Lucas Paqueta; Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus, Crysencio Summerville; Niclas Fullkrug.
Opening PL fixtures
Kits
See: More details at West Ham's online store