Tomáš Souček feels prepared for the re-start.
The Czech Republic midfielder has played a lot of football since his arrival in east London two and half years ago, and a small break has finally given the No28 the chance to refresh mind and body ahead of the resumption of 2022/23 Premier League season.
It is clear that the congested fixture list gives the Hammers plenty of opportunities for points over the festive period, which sees a trip to Arsenal on Boxing Day, before the Hammers host Brentford on 30 December, and travel to Leeds United on 4 January.
And Souček is determined to help his side move up the Premier League table as we head into the New Year.
"We got a few days off to rest with our families,” he explained, “but after that, we met, and we started from the first day with [the goal] to change our position in the table. I just hope that we will show that in the first game.
“Maybe [the break came at a good time]. We did a small pre-season and friendly games, but it is different to the Premier League. I am really looking forward to being back and playing.”
Performances across the mid-season warm-up matches grew the Hammers' confidence as they head into a busy festive period. Wins over EFL League One side Cambridge United and Serie A outfit Udinese were followed by a 1-1 draw at Fulham.
But now comes competitive football. A trip to the Emirates Stadium is the first match back on Monday 26 December, with Brentford travelling to London Stadium four days later, and the Irons going to Elland Road for their first match of 2023.
A tough match first up against the leaders, then, but the No28 remains convinced the Hammers can begin their restart with a positive result in north London.
“We did not start [the season] how we wanted; we have a big challenge to change that,” Souček stated. “We were shown a few clips, a few results, what we did wrong, and what we did good, and now we just want to improve our performances and results.
“Every one of us has to be ready for the first game. From that first moment in the first game, one day after Christmas, we could give a present to all the West Ham fans. The momentum we can get from the first game back is massive.”
Our Boxing Day derby with Arsenal will be broadcast live in the UK by Amazon Prime Video, kicking-off at 8pm GMT. If you live outside the UK, for details of listings in your territory, click here for full Premier League broadcast listings.
