[Goals are like rain, hammers are rejuvenated].
Heading into 2024, West Ham are yet to win any competition before facing Brentford. There was even a gradual decline in the team's performances, with them struggling to find a win in January but not even scoring goals in February. In their first four games in February, they scored one point against Bournemouth, and then lost three in a row against Manchester United, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, with the Hammers not only failing to score a goal, but also conceding an exaggerated 11 goals.
Spring rain is as precious as oil", after a slaughtering winter, the vitality of spring can undoubtedly make people happy. For West Ham United, the past two rounds of matches have been nothing less than a hard-won "spring rain" after a cold winter. Against Brentford and Everton, the Hammers reversed the slump of the past two months and scored a total of seven goals. Although the "quality" of the two opponents is still insufficient, Brentford is a relegation team, and Everton has been repeatedly tormented by FA fines, but the two attacking dramas are enough to make fans happy.
Two hard-won victories have stabilized David Moyes' position and West Ham's table situation. They sit seventh in the league after the win over Everton and could have qualified for Europe if they keep it up. Of course, this is also inseparable from the foil of "peers" - several competitors, Manchester United was beaten by Fulham; Newcastle missed back-to-back games at Luton Town and Bournemouth; Brighton have had their ups and downs, with four by Luton and four at Crystal Palace.
West Ham were not left behind in the slump of January and February, and now they are coming out of the gloom with a high spirit, and they can fight for a better position. The knockout round of the Europa League is about to begin, and in the context of a good standings situation, West Ham United also has the capital to exert force on the continental front and strive to bring greater surprises to fans.
The sluggish thighs will exert their strength again, and the returning team will show their magical powers
West Ham's recent excellent form has been directly linked to the resurgence in form of several players. First up is leading goalscorer Bowen, who has become West Ham's barometer of attack after Antonio faded from the attack, and Bowen was responsible for the team's results after scoring just one goal in the FA Cup during the slump between January and February. However, in the last two wins, Bowen has also regained his shooting boots. First, he scored a strong hat-trick against Brentford and also scored an assist against Everton.
Another attacking thigh, Kudus, has finally regained his vigor after returning from the national team. The Ghana winger was the disappointing man of the Ivory Coast tour, with the Blackstars on paper winning home in the group stage with just two draws and one defeat. Kudus himself didn't have much of a chance to perform, and he didn't even make it to the squad for the first group game. After returning from the national team, Kudus did not immediately come out of the slump. It wasn't until the last two games that Kudus finally found his rhythm and provided an assist in each of the two games to bring his goal tally to double figures this season.
In addition to returning to the team, there is also a comeback. After two months of injury recovery, West Ham's attacking heart Paqueta is finally back in the starting line-up. The Brazil international's last start for West Ham came in his final game of 2023, a 2-0 win over Arsenal. He has been sidelined by injury since then (only making a brief appearance in the FA Cup) and West Ham have been caught in a winless streak. Although he has yet to score since his return, his role in the attacking end of the pitch has directly raised the power of West Ham United.
Paqueta ushered in not only a physical comeback, but also a procedural "comeback". Paqueta was again selected in the Brazil squad announced in March. Many interpretations have linked the incident to the previous gambling scandal involving Brazilians, and Paqueta has not been selected for the Brazilian national team squad since it was revealed last summer that he was suspected of collusion to manipulate the game. While the FA has not dropped the charges against Paqueta and the case is still under investigation, the return to the yellow shirt is undoubtedly a very positive sign for both the player and the club.
Lian Jie has hidden worries behind him, and his defense needs to be polished
However, winning two games against opponents who are smaller than them does not mean that West Ham can rest easy. The Hammers' defensive problems have not been well resolved, with seven goals scored in their last two games but three conceded. Against Brentford, they were twice pulled out of suspense with a clear advantage in hand. The 3-1 win over Everton was actually the last win that was sealed by two "reversals" by defenders.
As a result, this kind of ups and downs will excite fans, but there is still a lot of room for improvement for West Ham in the process. They are about to start a two-front battle in March, and the team is clearly unwilling to give up their hard-earned Europa League knockout tickets; And at the end of the month, the Hammers will face a wave of "devil's schedule", consecutive games against Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, if this kind of defensive performance is in front of these strong teams, it is difficult to say that it will not come back to the trough at the beginning of the year.
West Ham's defensive problems are clearly related to the two "frustrated men". One of them is Moroccan centre-back Aguerd, who, like his team-mate Kudus, endured an unsuccessful Africa Cup of Nations, being eliminated after qualifying from the group stage. But the difference is that the Ghanaians have found their form, but Aguerd has not. To add insult to injury, Moyes left Aguerd on the bench after the defeat to Nottingham Forest, but West Ham won their first win of 2024. The good ones will not let go of this opportunity, and there are already rumours that Aguerd has fallen out of favor at the Hammers, and the West Asian league is his next home.
Phillips, who came on loan in the winter, also needs to prove his ability. Due to restrictions imposed by the Premier League's Financial Fair Play Act, West Ham did not make a major signing in the winter window, with Manchester City's Phillips the only new face. However, in the few games he played, the British foot performed lacklusterly. Against Nottingham Forest, he lost control of his emotions within 3 minutes and went off with two yellows. The long stay away from the pitch has also affected his status in the heart of national team manager Gareth Southgate. Manchester United's Maynou and Everton's Garner are all being examined, and if you don't want to be knocked over by the "back wave", Phillips should work hard.