The 2018/19 Premier League fixtures were announced on Thursday morning, and new West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini and Irons fans would have been quick to scan through and see not only when they were facing arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur and their other London neighbours, but also when they have favourable and unfavourable runs on paper.

If the east London club are to guarantee a top-half finish minimum next term under their Chilean boss – who has never finished below seventh when managing in European football – then they will know that a strong start to the campaign could be crucial.

However, that has already been made slightly more difficult for them by the fact that they face trips to Liverpool and Arsenal in August, meaning they will need to stand up and be counted from the opening kick.

With the squad they currently have – and with a few extra additions – the Irons, who are targeting a 5ft 9in star who would have a bigger impact for them than Dimitri Payet and Carlos Tevez – certainly have the capabilities to make a real push for a top-seven finish next term, especially as they have no European football to concentrate on like Burnley and the top six clubs all do.

A look at the fixture list quickly highlights when Pellegrini's men need to be on their game if they are to have a successful campaign.

Here are the three months that will decide West Ham's 2018/19 season…

After a tough trip to Liverpool on the opening day and another trip to Arsenal at the end of August, West Ham will need to ensure they hit the ground running in September if things don't go well at Anfield or the Emirates Stadium.

A home match against newly-promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers may give them the opportunity to do that despite the west Midlands outfit's flex in the transfer market, while the trip to Everton that follows may well be winnable, too.

Pellegrini's men finish the month with home fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester United, and having taken four points from those corresponding games last term, they will be confident of two more big performances – and hopefully results – again on their own patch.

Following a tough-looking August and September, the fixture list certainly calms down for the east London outfit into October, but it is December that Pellegrini may already have one eye on when it comes to really picking up plenty of points.

West Ham have seven fixtures throughout the final month of 2018, with home matches against Cardiff City, Crystal Palace and Watford combined with trips to Newcastle United, Fulham, Southampton and Burnley.

There is no doubt that whether the club are flying high or struggling a little ahead of those games, they could be a sequence of fixtures that can improve their season even more or turn it back in their favour.

With February ending with a trip to Manchester City and April containing trips to Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, March could prove to be a vital month for Pellegrini and his men as they look to achieve their aims.

Three of their four fixtures are at home – against Newcastle United, Huddersfield Town and Everton – with a trip to Cardiff City, and some good results and performances in those games would at least give them much-needed momentum ahead of a tough April.

Do you agree, West Ham fans? Let us know below.