James Ward-Prowse was pleased to play his part in our victory against Leicester City and believes it showed signs of a side moving in the right direction.
The Hammers triumphed 2-0 against the Foxes at London Stadium on Thursday to make it back-to-back wins and clean sheets for the first time this season in the Premier League.
The victory was secured via birthday boy Tomáš Souček, who responded quickest after Mohammed Kudus saw his close-range shot saved by Mads Hermansen, and Jannik Vestergaard’s own goal forced by Jarrod Bowen's dangerous cross-shot. Those were more than enough to see off Leicester and see the Irons rise above Everton to 15th in the Premier League table.
“It was a really good team performance,” said Ward-Prowse. “We knew it would be a totally different test from the one that we had at the weekend [against Arsenal], and we knew we'd have a lot of the ball.
“We knew we'd be up against a deep block and would have to try and break them down. I thought we did it really well, managed the game well in the second half and came away with a well-deserved win.
“I'm just happy to be back playing again. The manager's style definitely suits me. He's given me the freedom to go out there and get on the ball and express myself. I'm just enjoying playing my football again, and I just love being out there.”
Ward-Prowse, who was a key midfield cog, put in another eye-catching display against the Foxes, recording a sensational 95.7 per cent pass completion, but the 30-year-old saved plenty of praise for team-mates Souček and Bowen.
“He [Tomáš Souček] deserved his goal, and it was good for him to have it on his birthday. I look forward to seeing what cakes he brings in tomorrow,” Ward-Prowse smiled. “It wasn't my greatest ball in [for the second goal], but sometimes the best corners lead to nothing, and when you've got someone like Jazz [Jarrod Bowen] in the box, he can create anything out of nothing and he does what he does best.”
He also believes the improvement in our league form in recent weeks is a sign of the progress being made. Although he knows there is still a long way to go before the Hammers hit the high heights we are aiming for, confidence is growing with every win.
“I think it was important after the game the other day [to record back-to-back wins]. We put a lot of effort into it,” Ward-Prowse added.
“It was a quick turnaround from the high that we were coming off there. It was important to bring that into tonight, and I think the result is a real sign of the team that we are and the progress we're making that we were able to win tonight.
“I think a lot of people might have seen it as a bit of a slip-up game with them fighting for their lives, but we showed our professionalism and our quality in the end. I think there's definitely room to climb the table for sure. It's still tight, and I think a few good results and a few bad results can throw you either end [of the table] really quickly, so I think we've just got to keep our heads down and keep working hard.”
