After West Ham United claimed yet another fine result against one of the Premier League’s wealthiest teams, this time a 2-2 draw away at Chelsea, Slaven Bilic was asked a question that has come to characterise this whole season.
At what point does any of this stop becoming a surprise? For all the fair debates that the top sides are under-performing or complacent, is it actually possible that teams like West Ham are just... superior to Manchester United and everyone else they are competing with for a top-four place?
Bilic didn’t quite want to go there, possibly for fear of his side getting ahead of themselves and getting distracted from perpetually proving that they are. “It’s hard to say,” the Croatian answered. “They are top-quality sides, go individually throughout their teams, you see they have a great quality there…” Go individually through West Ham’s results, though, and there is even greater credit there. It is actually rather remarkable.
Of the 50 points Bilic’s side have claimed this season, 20 have come in: two matches against Liverpool, two against Manchester City, two against Chelsea and single encounters against Arsenal, Manchester United and Spurs. So, 40% of their points have come in just 30% of their games, and those that are notionally the toughest games.
There is clearly a flipside to that, however, that partly points to Bilic’s response - and could yet be influential in whether West Ham can actually finish the season in a better position than so many wealthier sides. They evidently aren’t as good or as consistent at taking points off notionally inferior teams. It has been an odd trend of their campaign. West Ham's performance level seems to rise and fall according to the level of the opposition.
The first few games of the season almost set the tone for so much. West Ham lost at home to Bournemouth and Leicester City - even if perception of the latter has altered radically in the time sine then - but beat Arsenal and Liverpool away.
That is also why this weekend could be so indicative. West Ham have just come off hugely impressive performances away to United in the FA Cup and Chelsea in the league, to the point that talk has escalated they really can get top four, but now must raise themselves for a notionally easy game at home to Crystal Palace.
The irony is that they might find games against tougher opposition easier. Whereas West Ham have not been beaten in a single match this season against Liverpool, City, Chelsea or Arsenal, they have dropped points to Norwich, Aston Villa, Swansea and Sunderland.
The match against Sunderland actually said so much. West Ham won 1-0, but they won what was possibly the drabbest game of the season. They were dire. Bilic’s side took just nine shots, and the best chances probably fell to Sunderland. After the game, Sam Allardyce lamented that they had been the better team, but that is all relative, given the exceptional low quality of the match.
Anyone watching on could have been forgiven that win was the beginning of their season petering out, of what would have been considered a natural fall-back. Except, it was immediately followed - and that just four days later - by what might have been their best display of the campaign. West Ham overwhelmed a Spurs side who were themselves overwhelming so many, temporarily stunting a fine run under Mauricio Pochettino that is still continuing.
That is no mean feat. West Ham did it by turning Tottenham’s game back on them. They used relentlessly energy to put Pochettino’s team into reverse. One figure indicates how, and some of the specifics of Bilic’s tactical approach. West Ham upped their interceptions from an average of 17 per game to 29 against Spurs. They just ensured they got to the ball first, as Tottenham have done to so many others, cutting them off at source.
The wonder is whether West Ham can do something similar to what Tottenham would do to Crystal Palace, whether they can raise their game to the levels they do against the top sides. Or is there a bigger question? Is it possible that Bilic actually needs a tactical test to rise to? Is that he thrives on the challenge of shortening the gap to those supposedly superior players?
The next few games will say much.
Do you think West Ham can secure a top-4 finish this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
