West Ham United finished their campaign with UEFA Europa Conference League success after a victory over Fiorentina to qualify for next seasons UEFA Europa League. If you havent yet read it, we have a tactical analysis piece on the match here. However, their season as a whole may be looked back upon with mixed feelings.
The Hammers finished in 14th place in the Premier League, just six points above the relegation zone. This came a season after they achieved a seventh-placed finish to qualify for the Conference League in the first place.
This data analysis will be split into two parts. First, we will use some data to investigate why West Ham werent as successful in the Premier League this season compared to last season. We will then focus on areas in which they can improve, and use statistics to provide some transfer suggestions to fix these problems ahead of the summer transfer window.
What type of side are West Ham?
Before we go any further, we need to understand what type of side David Moyes has built at the London Stadium.
The statistics from the above pizza chart teach us that, compared to other Premier League sides, West Ham generate a fairly high expected goals (xG) figure. However, they underperformed in front of goal and scored fewer goals than expected. They generally average a low possession share, which perhaps explains why they dont make many opposition penalty area entries.
West Hams high press wasnt very effective last season, although they are very good at limiting the oppositions xG. This suggests that they are effective at sitting in a compact defensive block to prevent their opponents from generating high-quality chances, as opposed to looking to win the ball back high up the pitch.
Below we can see West Hams defensive
