West Ham started the season with one clear goal: return to the Premier League. After a rocky start, with their first three games ending without a win, West Ham currently sit at the top of the Championship following four successive league victories.
Relegation brought uncertainty to the club. Questions were raised over the financial impact of dropping out of the Premier League, whether the club could maintain its support in the Championship or if key players would remain at the London Stadium.
Yet West Ham entered the new season with more stability than some may have expected. The club sold more than 50,000 season tickets and retained manager Nuno Espírito Santo and key players, including captain Jarrod Bowen. With an immediate return to the Premier League expected, the pressure was clear.
But West Ham got a taste early on of how the Championship does not care which league you come from; it demands adaptation to the physicality, intensity and unpredictability of a division widely regarded as one of the most competitive in English football.
Learning how to win the Championship
For West Ham, the challenge was not simply returning to winning ways but learning how to win in the Championship. Having not faced some of these teams for 14 years, the transition has required the squad to adapt to a different style and intensity of football.
Their recent form suggests that this adaptation is beginning to take place. Scoring 16 goals across their last four league games, West Ham’s attack has started to click, allowing players to become more confident and creative in their play. Nuno has also shown his ability to utilise players according to their strengths, while rotating the squad effectively and giving different players opportunities to contribute.
Having experienced players such as Bowen, Valentin Castellanos and Joel Piroe is an advantage for West Ham, particularly once they have adapted to the demands of the division. This was evident in the Wrexham game, where West Ham looked confident in possession and comfortable enough to play with freedom. The performance highlighted how the squad is beginning to work together, rather than relying solely on individual quality.
A squad beginning to click
The 6-0 victory over Wrexham provided perhaps the clearest indication yet of this growing confidence. With six different goalscorers, West Ham demonstrated that their attacking threat is not reliant on one individual but can come from across the team. Whether starting the game or coming off the bench, players are contributing to a side that appears increasingly cohesive.
Beyond the result, the game also highlighted the growing depth within the squad. The likes of Joshua Ajala and Lewis Orford were able to gain valuable minutes alongside more experienced players while West Ham maintained control of the game. For younger players, these opportunities provide valuable Championship experience, while also giving Nuno greater depth to work with as the season progresses.
Momentum is not promotion
However, it is still too early to say that West Ham have fully adapted to life in the Championship. Seven games into a 46-game league season, there are still 39 matches to play, with the unpredictability of the division meaning that a strong run of form does not guarantee promotion.
The next two fixtures will provide another test of West Ham’s progress. A Carabao Cup meeting with Fulham will be followed by a Championship clash with Millwall away, giving Nuno’s side two very different challenges in quick succession. The momentum is certainly there but maintaining it will be the real test.
For now, West Ham appear to be finding their feet. Their recent run suggests a team growing in confidence, with experienced players leading the way and younger players beginning to establish themselves within the squad. Whether that momentum can be sustained across the remaining 39 games will ultimately determine whether this resurgence becomes the first step towards an immediate return to the Premier League.
