2023 was a year for the ages for West Ham United, and James Ward-Prowse thinks there can be more to come in 2024.
Following last week’s 2-0 win at Arsenal, the Hammers head into the New Year sitting sixth in the table, holding their highest ever points tally at the halfway stage of a Premier League season.
Ward-Prowse, along with fellow summer signings Mohammed Kudus, Edson Álvarez and Dinos Mavropanos, has played a key role in sustaining the momentum gained from June’s UEFA Europa Conference League triumph, and the former Southampton man knows the importance of continuing to look forwards.
West Ham welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to London Stadium for their first game of 2024 on Tuesday, with Ward-Prowse eyeing up a league double over the Seagulls, following August’s 3-1 win on the Sussex coast.
“We have to recognise that we’ve been mixing it with the top clubs in the league and run with it,” he said. “Now we've given ourselves a fantastic platform to start in the league and we have to build on that and carry that on.
“Off the back of the success the Club had last year, you could feel the momentum building and I think we've only carried that on. You know, it's important to take stock of where we are and appreciate the achievements that we've had. But this is a start of a really good season and hopefully there is more to come.
“It’ll be a really tough test on Tuesday. Obviously, we've got good confidence going into that game from Arsenal. So, you know, another good test, but one that we're going to relish.”
Looking back on that fantastic victory at Arsenal, in which Ward-Prowse registered his tenth assist of the season by whipping in the corner which Mavropanos nodded home, the 29-year-old was thrilled with the display.
“You know it's going to be tough going to Arsenal and you got to put in a massive performance," he added. "Before you think about the tactical side of things, you have to think about getting the work right and the effort, and I think everybody, right from the from the front to the back, put in a fantastic shift.
“We know if you put in that hard work and that resolute sort of attitude, then you're going get your chances on the counter attack. And I think we did that on Thursday Two great goals as well.
“You have to take chances when you go there. We didn't get too many, but the for the ones we did we were clinical. And you need to ride your luck at times and we did that at certain moments. But ultimately, I think we deserved the win.”
