{"id":1216718,"date":"2021-08-31T16:35:14","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T15:35:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1216718"},"modified":"2021-08-31T16:35:14","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T15:35:14","slug":"west-ham-premier-league-david-moyes-top-four-race","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/west-ham-premier-league-david-moyes-top-four-race\/","title":{"rendered":"The less obvious weapons that could fire West Ham into the top-four race this season"},"content":{"rendered":"

West Ham enter the international break unbeaten and second in the Premier League table.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After three games, the Hammers have struck 10 goals, thrashed the FA Cup holders, celebrated a new Premier League record goalscorer and welcomed a capacity crowd back to the London Stadium, and all without having signed a new outfield player until three days before deadline day.<\/p>\n

This has not been the work of some divine force, although David Moyes is certainly cultivating a demigod status in E20, but rather, the hard work and tactical endeavour of one sagacious Scot and his band of brothers in the dugout (Billy McKinlay, Kevin Nolan, Stuart Pearce and Paul Nevin).<\/p>\n

Michail Antonio has been the attacking fulcrum, Declan Rice the leader and Tomas Soucek the midfield engine. But, there is so much more to this current side than the headline-grabbers alone, from the Tomas Repka-esque tenacity of Vladimir Coufal, to the uncompromising, hard-nosed defending of Angelo Ogbonna.<\/p>\n

With West Ham continuing their Europa League-achieving form from last season and looking a more refined, polished outfit under Moyes, there is no reason they can\u2019t target a top-four finish. And here are four of the less-obvious stars that could go on to define another stellar season.<\/p>\n

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William Hill<\/a> odds for West Ham’s next game away to Southampton:<\/strong><\/h2>\n