The title as London's biggest club undoubtedly belongs to Arsenal due to the stature of the club, their history and constant top four finishes. However, once upon a time, West Ham yo-yoed between the Premier League and the Championship as their battle for consistency meant they were often mocked by London rivals.

Under Slaven Bilic, however, the Hammers have become considered by many as one of the top-dogs in the league. A remarkable last season at Upton Park saw winning performances over Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal as the Irons claimed their highest league finish in sixteen years. Now fans must accept the fact the club have closed the gap on Chelsea and Tottenham.

The Irons finished above Chelsea last season, but the West Londoners are expected to overturn their poor performances to challenge for the Premier League title once again this year. It may be a unrealistic dream for West Ham to consider a title challenge just yet but one advantage Bilic's boys has over Antonio Conte's Blues' is the brand new stadium they have recently adopted.

The London Stadium was the iconic centre-attraction as Great Britain staged the 2012 Olympic games. Now the new home of the Hammers, it has become the third-biggest ground in the Premier League behind only Old Trafford and the Emirates Stadium - topping the capacity at both Stamford Bridge and White Hart Lane.

The summer transfer window enabled the Hammers to further close the gap on rivals Tottenham and they now have a good case for claiming their squad holds a greater number of talented players and stronger dept throughout. Andre Ayew was signed after a superb first season in England with Swansea City, along with Italian international Simeone Zaza and Besiktas playmaker Gokhan Tore. Sofiane Feghouli joining the club on a free transfer could prove one of the signings of the season once he returns from injury.

Tottenham, on the other hand, failed to add much strength to their squad ahead of their first Champions League season since 2010. Vincent Jansen was signed from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar after just one successful season in top-flight football. Southampton midfielder Victor Waynama made the switch to White Hart Lane whilst Moussa Sissoko joined Newcastle on Deadline Day. Sissoko's inconsistency and Waynama's inability to be adaptable in midfield could prove a major issue for Pochettino as the season develops.

It's difficult to deny Chelsea remain ahead of West Ham in terms of quality in the squad. But once again this summer, Chelsea failed to sign players better than the current first team, unlike West Ham. Marcos Alonso was signed on deadline day from Fiorentina and the Spanish full-back comes with a major cloud over his Premier League career as he previously had underwhelming loan spells at Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland.

Along with Alonso, David Luiz was re-signed from Paris Saint Germain just over two years after being sold for a record fee. The Brazilian's leadership and energy may prove crucial to Chelsea as they aim to forget the disappointment of last season. Chelsea have to be praised for the capture of Leicester City's N'Golo Kante, the best midfielder in the Premier League last term.

Less than four years ago, an injury to Carlton Cole would have been devastating to West Ham as they continued to push for a top-ten finish. Those days are long gone as Slaven Bilic has transformed an average Premier League squad into an ambitious side capable of challenging for European places. Internationals are rife throughout the squad with the star attraction being Dimitri Payet, who stuck a strong argument for being the player of the tournament at Euro 2016.

Clever signings such as Manuel Lanzini, Aaron Cresswell and Michail Antonio have catapulted West Ham right into contention along with the league's top clubs. A strong scouting network has seen the club sign players like Kouyate and Nordtveit for minimal fees.

Sam Allardyce certainly laid the foundations for Bilic to build on and it must be mentioned. There is a feeling of growth coming from the club with any dream becoming a possibility. The club's home capacity has doubled following the stadium move, which could also be said for the quality in the squad also.

Chelsea's uncertainty and lack of stability at management level means an implosion could occur at any stage. An ageing squad with a lack of suitable competition coming from the bench makes this Chelsea side a ticking time-bomb if key players pick up injuries.

West Ham certainly have weaknesses in their squad too, but the team spirit Bilic has instilled has become crucial when required to grind results out. Pochettino's Spurs may hold a bigger argument, however, with his Tottenham side coming desperately close to winning the Premier League title last season.

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