Five explanations for the miracle of Moyes' West Ham

Despite Premier League leaders Chelsea being in top form and Liverpool remaining the only English club undefeated in all competitions, it is West Ham who have undoubtedly stolen the limelight so far this season.

In the two campaigns of his second spell as the team's coach, David Moyes has managed to transform a struggling West Ham side into one of the finest teams in England, with the Hammers having knocked out both Manchester United and Manchester City to progress to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, Moyes' men are undefeated in the Europa League, where they haven't conceded a single goal and they have registered three victories in the same number of games. It has been an incredible turnaround and these are five explanations for the miracle of Moyes' West Ham.

Michail Antonio's form

Following a great start to the campaign, Michail Antonio was named the Premier League Player of the Month in August after scoring four goals and producing three assists in just three matches. Moyes has managed to convert the 31-year-old winger into one of the most in-form strikers in the Premier League this season, with Antonio currently the league's third-top scorer with six goals.

Formidable midfield duo

Tomas Soucek has gelled perfectly with Declan Rice in the middle third, with the two men transforming West Ham's midfield into one of the finest in the Premier League. The pair have registered a combined two league goals and six assists so far this season, with the Czech midfielder also having stood out in 2020/21, when he managed 10 goals in 38 Premier League games.

Zouma's arrival

In his bid to strengthen West Ham's defence last summer, Moyes decided to sign centre-back Kurt Zouma from Chelsea and instantly made him an undisputed starter. Since Zouma's Premier League debut with West Ham back in September against Manchester United, the Hammers have registered four wins and two defeats in six Premier League duels.

Tight and compact squad

Despite being criticised for his insistence on using a relatively short squad for a team competing in four competitions, Moyes has managed to make sure that all his players are aware of their roles in the team. As a result, in the games where the Scottish coach heavily rotated his team this season, West Ham have knocked out the two Manchester powerhouses from the Carabao Cup and have registered three wins in Europe.

Smart signing policy

After investing around 150 million euros in signings during Manuel Pellegrini's spell, West Ham changed their transfer policy under Moyes, who opted for relatively unknown players with huge potential. Moyes brought in Soucek, Said Benrahma, Vladimir Coufal and Jarrod Bowen, all of whom are key now for the Hammers.