In the next part of our 2023/24 Season Review, we revisit the Irons' busy September schedule, when we played six games across competitions in a two-week period...
September 2023 kicked-off with a third consecutive Premier League win away at Premier League newcomers Luton Town on the first of the month, just hours after the Hammers had been drawn in Group A of the UEFA Europa League alongside SC Freiburg, Olympiacos, and FK TSC Bačka Topola.
Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road, which was itself subject to hastily organised improvements following the Bedfordshire club's promotion via the EFL Championship Play-Offs - became the 61st different stadium to host Premier League football.
Jarrod Bowen, whose early season form was evidently symbolic of his incredible season to come, set the wheels in motion for victory with a superb first half header, which saw him score in our first three away games of the season, becoming the first Hammer to do so since Vic Watson in 1930/31.
And after new signing Mohammed Kudus was introduced to the fray to make his West Ham United debut, Kurt Zouma scored the visitors' second, again with a header, to take David Moyes' side to the top of the Premier League.
However, following the first international break of the season, our unbeaten start came to an end, as eventual Premier League winners Manchester City sealed a comeback victory in east London.
James Ward-Prowse headed home Vladimír Coufal’s deft cross to put the Hammers ahead, but second half goals from Jérémy Doku, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland condemned Moyes’ side to a 3-1 defeat.
The Hammers’ next match was the first on their latest European adventure – and just our second-ever campaign in the UEFA Europa League proper – as we welcomed Serbian outfit FK TSC Bačka Topola to east London.
A professional second half performance saw the Irons come from behind to seal a 3-1 victory at a rain-soaked London Stadium, thanks to an own-goal, a first West Ham goal for Kudus on his full debut and Tomáš Souček.
It was back down to earth just three days later, as we suffered a second defeat of the season this time on the road against Liverpool at Anfield, losing out 3-1, which was our fifth 3-1 scoreline in six games in all competitions!
But we were soon back to winning ways, with a hard-fought victory over dogged Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup. Kudus, Dinos Mavropanos and Thilo Kehrer all made their Carabao Cup debuts, but it was Souček who headed in the second-half winner at a stormy Sincil Bank.
The sixth and final fixture of September was manager David Moyes’ 900th league game as manager – and the Hammers delivered a comfortable 2-0 victory over newly-promoted Sheffield United at London Stadium, with Coufal delivering an assist for the third top-flight game in a row.
And, you guessed it, Bowen and Souček were on the scoresheet once again for the Irons, who ended the month seventh in the Premier League table.
