A journey to the Europa League semi-final was the highlight for West Ham in 2021/22, but the Hammers also pulled off an impressive seventh-placed finish.
It was just the third time in the 21st century that the club have finished in the top seven in the Premier League, and the second time in as many years.
David Moyes is a long way down the list of next Premier League manager to be sacked odds. There is rare stability at West Ham heading into 2022-23.
The majority of sports betting sites have West Ham tabbed as the seventh or eighth best team in the Premier League this coming season.
Andriy Yarmolenko and Ryan Fredericks have departed. Mark Noble has retired. The Hammers have still strengthened their squad.
More Incomings
Areola’s move has been made permanent. Nayef Aguerd was signed for over £30 million from Rennes, and defensive midfielder Flynn Downes has arrived from Swansea.
Moyes and the club’s hierarchy have improved their defensive options with Aguerd and Downes, but they aren’t finished yet. Chelsea youngster Armando Broja is a target to increase the firepower at Moyes’ disposal, as is Gianluca Scamacca.
◾ Armando Broja
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) July 19, 2022
◾ Jesse Lingard
◾ Amadou Onana
◾ Gianluca Scamacca
◾ Nayef Aguerd
◾ Flynn Downes
◾ Alphonse Areola
West Ham's £150m summer is taking shape.
✍️ @MalikOuzia_ https://t.co/ZaB4HDRqO6
West Ham are also in pursuit of ball-winning midfielder Amadou Onana and are waiting on a decision from free agent Jesse Lingard.
Despite spending roughly £50 million on Downes, Aguerd and Areola, the Hammers are still looking for high-profile additions to the first-team squad.
Focus on Domestic Action
West Ham understandably focused on the Europa League in the closing weeks of last season. This made them a difficult team to back in Premier League predictions.
Moyes’ team won just five of their last 15 league matches, with only five teams accumulating fewer points from 1st February onwards.
A deeper squad will help if the Hammers again find themselves in European contention in the second half of the season. There’s a long way to go until that’s a factor, though, with West Ham yet to find out their opponents in the Conference League Playoff.
Regardless of their results in continental competition, West Ham are better positioned to remain competitive domestically.
How Can West Ham Improve?
It’s reasonable to expect some regression from West Ham after they placed in mid-table by expected goals last term.
Improving the squad depth is a key way for the Hammers to improve in 2022-23 – this is their best chance of sustaining a push for the top six.
Perhaps improvement is too great an ask given where Moyes has taken them to, however.
Replicating their efforts from last season would be a success, and retaining key men Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen for another campaign will be a step in the right direction to avoid sliding into the clutter of mid-table.
West Ham Prediction for 2022/23:
West Ham are set to make history with a third consecutive top seven finish.
One of the best online fanbases has been through yo-yoing, through years of mediocrity and endured controversy, but Moyes has brought one of the most positive spells in the club’s history.
We can’t see them finishing above any of the big six, but they should be best of the rest.
West Ham Premier League prediction: 7th
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
