Win in Prague and we trump the Gooners

Should West Ham beat Fiorentina in Prague and lift the Europa Conference League Trophy, would that mean the Hammers, in the final reckoning, have had a better season than Arsenal, who finished second in the Premier League?

That’s the question I was asked outside the King Power Stadium on Sunday by a TalkSPORT reporter, of all people.

Football has been called the ‘beautiful game’ - and we all love to see it played in a certain way. Fair play to Arsenal who have certainly entertained their fans over the 2022-23 season with some exhilarating attacking football at times.

But for all that, what have they got to show for their efforts? The answer is nothing! West Ham fans on the other hand have endured rather than enjoyed the Premier League season that’s just finished.


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The table doesn’t lie! 14th place is not where we wanted to be and certainly not where David Moyes expected to be when he recruited his new arrivals and set out his plans for the season ahead last summer.

But the compensation for us as supporters and for Moyes and his team comes in the shape of our final in Prague – and the prospect of that big shiny trophy – our first piece of proper European silverware for 58 years!

Should it happen that’s what will go down in the record books – and those will be the triumphant pictures that will circulate around the world across social media, occupying the football headlines in sports bulletins throughout Europe. Arsenal’s second place in the Premier League will count for nothing.

The Gooners won 26 of their 38 league games – losing just six. West Ham on the other hand won 11 and lost 20.

Arsenal finished their league season in style with a 5-0 thumping of Wolves – we lost 2-1 to relegation bound Leicester City. A disappointing but not devastating finale because our 40 points were more than enough to see us to safety.

But right now it’s not the results of 38 Premier League games that will define our season – it’s the outcome of just one! The big one! Win that and the bragging rights will definitely be all ours.

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