Following successive defeats that saw West Ham United slip down the table, it was once again Tomáš Souček who led from the front to earn his side their first home win since October against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
In fact, ten of West Ham’s 18 Premier League points this season have come in games in which the Czech Republic international has scored first for the Hammers.
“This was a massive win for us because we were playing at home and everyone was a bit under pressure,” he reflected. “We wanted to do maximum effort. I was so happy we took the three points.
“We know where we are in the table. The pressure is always high, even when you’re doing well in the league. Now that we are a little bit down in terms of league position, you feel it even more.
“We feel it outside, from the media, even if we don’t want to read it, it still comes to us. But that’s football, it’s full of ups and downs and we must deal with that. That’s the reason I’m so happy we won that game.”
On target for the fourth time this campaign, Souček is now the Hammers’ joint-top goalscorer in the Premier League this season alongside captain Jarrod Bowen.
In his first full season in Claret and Blue, the 29-year-old made a name for himself as a goalscorer, making it to double figures in the Premier League, and he is on track to repeat that feat this campaign.
Souček continued: “Being active at set-pieces is a big part of my game. I work on it in training with Pablo [Sanz]; the best ways to approach corners and my movement in the box. It’s a part of my game where I feel very strong.
“Of course, I also like running up and down the pitch. It’s always been my style, when I was young and growing up, to make clearances in our box and to finish in the opposition box. I’m happy to have scored again and hopefully there are plenty more goals to come!”
But for Souček, his 31st Premier League career goal carried extra weight, dedicating it to teammate and friend Michail Antonio who suffered a terrible car accident on the weekend before the Wolves game.
“It was very special,” our No28 said. “I said to myself in the morning that it would be a big motivation for me [to score for Antonio].
“Micky has been here since I joined, and he was so helpful to me. On and off the pitch, he’s a great guy. He’s the record Premier League goalscorer for West Ham. It’s hard imagining playing without him. We’ve had so many games on the pitch together. I just wanted to score for him.
"Me and Jarrod scoring was a great story, because we are two of the more senior players who have shared the changing room the longest with Micky. Jarrod is a great guy, a perfect captain for us. It was great to send some positivity to Micky and his family with the goals.
“We had a video call with him about 45 minutes before the game; it was lovely. He wished us all the best and assured us he’s in good condition. The day after the game, I visited him in the hospital. I was so happy to see him, to see him smile.
“The recovery will be long but our thoughts are with him. We will do many more video calls and we look forward to when he can come back to the training ground because he is one of us. He’s one of my best friends in the group.”
Looking ahead to their next game, West Ham travel to an in-form AFC Bournemouth side who will be looking to make it four wins in a row. Despite having one of the lowest market values in the division, the Cherries find themselves tinkering with European places.
The table is tight though entering the busy festive fixture period, and Souček insists European football is still within reach for the Hammers, if they can turn their new style of football under Head Coach Julen Lopetegui into results.
He added: “I think tough moments make the bond in the group stronger. I said in the changing room that I don’t want to see any more defeats this calendar year. And that starts at Bournemouth which will no doubt be a tough game.
“The manager told us to enjoy the pressure. There will be a day when we can’t play football anymore and we will miss this pressure. We took it on board and we want to build on the Wolves win.
“When I see our training sessions, we have so much more to show [in matches]. We want to show our style and deliver results with this system.
“The coach likes a more active style of football. Pressing the opponent and having more of the ball. I really like this style but we have to show more on the pitch. As a team, we work very hard here, but on game day we need to show even more, because results are the most important thing.
“I’ve had three seasons in a row in Europe during my time at West Ham. We love playing in these competitions and the fans do too. For me, the dream is to go back to Europe. We are not there now, but there are lots of games left and I think we can still do it.
“They say we are close to relegation, but in terms of points we are closer to European football. The table is very balanced right now. Everyone can beat everyone. I think we need to go on a run of a few wins in a row and we can be back in the mix.”
