On the back of a strong campaign last year, West Ham United have continued to move in the right way this season. With a good start, they have put themselves into contention for the top four in the Premier League, and also made big strides in Europe, qualifying top of their Europa League group.The Europa League success they are having, in particular, is a strong highlight for them. Despite a long list of very strong Champions League teams entering the competition, the latest UEFA Europa League odds have West Ham at 9/1, which makes them joint-fourth favourites to win the competition.There will be a lot of focus on West Ham, but also elsewhere, with the likes of Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla all now in the Europa League, and sure to feature amongst Europa League betting tips in the future. The task for West Ham has become a lot harder since the arrival of those Champions League big names, and others, but it is a sign of just how far West Ham have come and how much they’ve impressed in this competition, that they are still near the top of the betting.You only need to go back a couple of years and fans would not have thought this was possible.

West Ham’s European Success

West Ham were one of the highlights of the group stage, qualifying top of the group to avoid the forthcoming playoff round and finishing with 13 points. That was incredibly important for the Hammers, as that means they avoid the big Champions League teams, for now - those who finished second in the group stage have to face one of those.

They averaged almost two goals per game and conceded just three in the group stage, against some good teams for the level and in some tough environments when they played away from home. Their first game was perhaps the toughest, and resulted in a good 2-0 away win over Dinamo Zagreb, to kick off their campaign in style and give the team a lot of confidence.

Premier League Growth

While the top four may be a little out of reach this season, despite a very strong start, the top six is certainly on, and that would mean a return to European football next season, regardless of where they finish in the Europa League. Of course, winning the Europa League would mean a place in the Champions League next season, which would be huge for the club.

The biggest question for West Ham may be whether they can keep up their challenge in both competitions. In their 2-0 loss to Arsenal, West Ham looked a little tired and struggled in the game, things are only going to get worse.

At some point, the club may have to prioritise one over the other and rest some players for a game they would rather not. However, the fact that West Ham are even making these decisions should be seen as a positive to how they have played recently, and where the club currently is.

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