The Premier League fixtures have been announced and West Ham have found out when and who their opponents will be for the upcoming campaign.
The Hammers will of course have to play each side twice, as does everyone in the league, but the dates of the fixtures can impact a team's progress.
A poor start to the campaign could have the potential to see the high of last season's top-six finish quickly dissipate or alternatively it could galvanize the team if they pick up unexpected points.
West Ham have the very welcome addition of European travel and matches which will impact recovery and preparation time.
With this in mind football.london has been through the fixture list and selected the eleven key West Ham fixtures of the 2021/22 season.
Newcastle (a), August 14
The first game of the season is always important but this one especially so for West Ham. It is the same opponent they lost to, albeit this time away from home, on the opening day of the 2020/21 campaign and can be a barometer of the improvement over the past 12 months.
West Ham were also defeated by Newcastle in April following Craig Dawson's first-half red card and the Hammers have a chance to set a marker for their season by defeating a team that took six points off them last season.
Manchester United (h), September 18
West Ham's recent history of matches with Manchester United is not a pretty one, three losses last season made it just two wins in 12 for the Hammers, simply avoiding defeat would be a successful result.
The reason this is a key fixture for David Moyes' team is it is their first match directly after a Europa League game. Seeing how the West Ham squad copes with the added pressure of a European campaign will give a strong indication of what lies ahead for the Hammers.
Brentford (h), October 2
This is a vital match for very similar reasons to the Manchester United game. It comes straight after West Ham's second Europa League group game, however, with all due respect to Brentford, is eminently more winnable.
If the Hammers wish to be challenging for European football once more then beating the promoted teams at home is a must. Moyes needs to show he is capable of balancing European football and the Premier League in order to repeat the top-six finish of this season and a home match with Brentford is a game the team needs to win.
Tottenham (h), October 23
Another match directly after European action but in this instance with Spurs playing on Thursday, October 21 in the Europa Conference League the preparation time will be similar for both teams.
Any clash with Tottenham is always likely to be one of West Ham's biggest matches of the season. With the two teams finishing just three points apart last time out a win over their fierce rivals in front of a full London Stadium will go down very well indeed.
Norwich (h), December 18
December is a busy month for West Ham with seven Premier League and Europa League matches in just 25 days. With Norwich City expected to be in a relegation battle a home match against the newly-promoted side should be a chance to pick up three points off the back of facing Chelsea and Arsenal in two of the previous three fixtures.
Watford (a), December 28
The end to a hectic December sees Moyes take his team to Vicarage Road and for very similar reasons to the clash with Norwich three points to end 2021 would be more than welcome.
If West Ham wish to repeat the success of this season it is games like these, just two days after the Southampton match, that will prove if the Hammers have the strength in depth needed to compete at the top end of the table.
Aston Villa (h) March 12
Sandwiched in between two tough matches away to Liverpool and Tottenham, the visit of Aston Villa could be key to ensuring some points are collected in March.
It is also another match that comes directly after a European clash, that is if West Ham progress to either the Europa League or the Europa Conference League Round of 16. By this stage of the season, the extra games will be beginning to take their toll and March could be a tough month with trips to Spurs and Liverpool alongside potentially European competition.
Chelsea (a) April 4
West Ham's tough final five matches of the season begin with a trip to Stamford Bridge. If the Hammers are still in with a shot of a European spot then a trip to Chelsea will certainly test their mettle.
Arsenal (h) April 30
Along the same lines of the trip to Chelsea comes the challenging clash with Arsenal, albeit a home match against a team not expected to be fighting for a league title.
If Arsenal repeat their form from this season West Ham and the Gunners could well be going head to head for a European spot and with four matches to play this may end up being a vital clash.
Manchester City (h) May 15
The daunting task of taking points off the reigning champions will be made slightly easier by the atmosphere that this game should bring.
May 15 2022 will go down as a famous West Ham date, it will be the last chance the home crowd get to watch and cheer on their beloved captain Mark Noble. The skipper will be retiring from playing at the end of the season and will no doubt be given the send-off he deserves.
Brighton (a) May 22
The final match of the season sees the Hammers travel to Brighton and Moyes will be hoping they can emulate this season and seal European football for the following campaign.
West Ham drew both their matches in the 2020/21 season against Brighton but will be aiming to take all three points to end the season on a high.
