As Tomáš Souček twirled towards the corner flag to salute yet another crucial Premier League goal, it was the moment where West Ham United’s campaign took off under the tutelage of Julen Lopetegui.
The scores were locked at 0-0 just after the hour mark of a frenetic London derby at a rain-soaked Selhurst Park, but the Czech midfielder’s well-struck effort opened the scoring before Hammers captain Jarrod Bowen sealed victory five minutes later to spark joyous celebrations among a delighted travelling contingent.
And Souček believes that this is just the beginning, and they can be even stronger as Lopetegui’s charges aim to battle their way back into Europe and a top-seven Premier League spot this season.
“It means a lot. We wanted three points from the first game against Aston Villa, but we didn’t get them,” said Souček. “We know the importance of starting the season well, and it’s a massive three points for us. Now we have to continue on from this moment and play the same way as we did today.
“I’m happy with the goal because I could’ve scored against Aston Villa. I was disappointed all week with that, but now I scored this important goal, so I’m really happy with that.
“It was an up and down game, as are most in the Premier League. It’s always important to score first. We know that Crystal Palace had a couple of chances, but we defended very well. We scored the first goal and then the second quickly after to make it a bit safer.
“We are in a new era now, and we are enjoying it and are excited about what’s to come. We want to be high in the Premier League table and get West Ham back into Europe. We have to continue to fight for each other because the quality of the individuals is great, but we are a team, and I hope after today we can be even stronger.”
Souček has been impressed by West Ham’s summer recruitment and believes the depth of the squad will be key throughout the campaign.
The 29-year-old enjoyed one of his best seasons for West Ham last season, scoring ten goals in all competitions, and hopes to surpass that landmark this term.
“We have many players in the squad, which is important if you want to compete," Souček confirmed. "We know that someone is always waiting for a place behind us. The sessions the manager puts on are great and are of good quality every day. I just want to keep my place in the team and continue to try to help them as well.
"Obviously, it is nice to score goals. Last season was one of my best with West Ham, so to beat it would be incredible. The coaches have shown that I have the quality to find space in the opposition box and to score the goals, but I can also defend our own box. I have the capability to do both, but I am enjoying scoring goals, and hopefully it can continue.
“The most impressive thing [about Saturday’s performance] was how we built from the back, and I was very happy with the way we pressed our opponent. But we also gave Crystal Palace many chances to score, so there are places we need to improve as well.
“The result was so important as it keeps us high in the Premier League, and it’s something to build on. I hope our structure will be even better than today, but we did many good things.”
