Ranking West Ham’s best ever teams of the Premier League era | OneFootball

West Ham are one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League and have been almost ever since its inception in 1992 with the Hammers having featured in all but four of the 31 seasons of the competition thus far. They weren't part of the initial line-up for the new-look English top-flight in the 1992/93 campaign, but were promoted during that season from the second tier and therefore debuted during the second year of the competition.

Relegation in 2002/03 saw the Irons spend two seasons in the first division at the time - better known as the Championship to modern fans - before gaining promotion back to the big time in 2005. They spent six consecutive seasons in the Premier League before being relegated once more as they finished the 2010/11 campaign at the foot of the table.

The club employed Sam Allardyce to take on the task of gaining instant promotion back to the top flight, and the former Newcastle and Blackburn boss did just that via a play-off final win against Blackpool at Wembley. These are the lows of the football club over the past three decades or so, but we are here to focus on the positives, so don't worry West Ham fans!

GIVEMESPORT have decided to look at the 10 best West Ham teams in Premier League history based on their points tally at the end of each respective campaign. So, without further ado, check out the results below...

10 1993/94 - 52 Points

West Ham missed out on the opening season of the newly formatted Premier League after being relegated in 1992. The club bounced straight back into the top flight and registered what is now their 10th-best season to date. 52 points for a newly promoted team is nothing to be sniffed at. Billy Bonds was the man tasked with keeping the Irons in the top tier, and he managed to do so with aplomb.

Julian Dicks was sold to Liverpool in what would be a significant loss both on and off the pitch, but it wouldn't re-rail the season completely. Trevor Morley scored 11 goals, setting relatively high standards for strikers that would follow in his footsteps in the following years.

9 2018/19 - 52 Points

As will be seen later on this list, 52 points would have got a higher position in the Premier League in previous years, but Manuel Pellegrini's men had to settle for mid-table in 2018/19. The former Manchester City boss was brought in to bring the club forward and challenge for European qualification. A vast array of talent was recruited to help the former Premier League winning manager, Felipe Anderson, Issa Diop and Andriy Yarmolenk being the most expensive incoming transfers.

The season kicked off in uninspiring fashion as West Ham lost their first four league games but some strong mid-season form helped drag the East London club into mid-table territory. Lukasz Fabianski may have been the signing of the season for the club during 2018/19 season as the shot-stopper went on to keep seven clean sheets while playing all 38 league games after joining from Swansea.

8 2001/02 - 53 Points

The 2000/01 season was an underwhelming one for the Hammers as they finished 15th in the Premier League, not far off the relegation spots. A change in management from Harry Redknapp to Glenn Roeder did not help matters either. Roeder was able to get a full campaign in the Boleyn Ground dugout during the 2001/02 season and the results were promising. A seventh-place finish saw the club just miss out on European football, but the team looked to be heading in the right direction once more.

Paolo Di Canio was the main man at the top end of the pitch for West Ham despite the veteran striker coming towards the end of his time with the club. A young Frederic Kanoute was the talisman during the 2001/02 season, however, as the French-born forward scored 11 league goals.

7 1999/00 - 55 Points

The 1999/00 season for West Ham was the Di Canio show for the majority of the time with the controversial Italian being at the peak of his powers. Di Canio was able to score 16 times in the English top flight, including two goals in a 2-1 victory over a high-flying Arsenal side. His striker partner - Paulo Wanchope - was in fine form during that campaign too as the fan favourite also reached double-figure league goals with 12.

A young Rio Ferdinand had a very solid season at the Boleyn Ground and caught the eye of many of the elite clubs in England. His fine performances earned the defender a move to Leeds United at the end of the season for a record fee at the time. Ferdinand would go on to become one of the best defenders in Premier League history, with this campaign under Harry Redknapp being the springboard for that career trajectory.

6 2005/06 - 55 Points

Alan Pardew had the Hammers playing some good football in the 2005/06 season as they reached the final of the FA Cup final and were so close to securing the trophy until Steven Gerrard thumped in a long-range thunderbolt to equalise and send the game to extra-time, with the Reds eventually winning on penalties. It was not only a good season in the cup competitions either, as the club finished in the top half of the Premier League for the first time in four years.

Marlon Harewood was the main man up front as the former Nottingham Forest youth product banged in 14 goals in the league and 16 in all competitions. The squad was littered with players who would go on to have very solid careers in the English top flight, in the form of Yossi Benayoun, Mark Noble and James Collins, among others.

5 1997/98 - 56 Points

West Ham were unfortunate to miss out on European qualification as they finished the 1997/98 season in eighth position, but were only three points behind Leeds United in fifth. Welsh striker - John Hartson - was in fine form during that campaign as the striker hit 15 league goals across the season.

The forward bagged goals in victories over both Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in the early stages of the season and the Hammers even gained a big win over London rivals, Chelsea. Frank Lampard was still at the beginning stages of his career development that would see the English midfielder go on to win the Premier League multiple times and the Champions League. The youngster had a strong season with five goals, which would eventually help him become the highest-scoring midfielder in the history of the division.

4 2021/22 - 56 Points

Having had a strong campaign in the league the previous season - which we will get on to - West Ham were flying into the 2021/22 season with a feel-good factor surrounding the London Stadium, perhaps for the first time since their move to the former Olympic ground. Jarrod Bowen was a man on fire throughout the season as the English winger notched up 12 goals, including two against eventual champions Manchester City.

The Irons finished seventh in the league, securing European football for a second consecutive season. David Moyes helped the team to this very respectable finish in the Premier League, while also going very far in the Europa League, being beaten in the semi-final by Eintracht Frankfurt - who went on to win the competition. There was a very settled feel to Moyes' team during this campaign with many players picking themselves with the likes of Kurt ZOuma and Craig Dawson coming in to sturdy the defence.

3 1998/99 - 57 Points

A very youthful Frank Lampard was an ever-present for the Hammers in the 1998/99 season as he featured in all 38 games on the way to a fifth-place finish. Ian Wright finished the season as the club's top scorer in the Premier League with nine goals during his only campaign with the East London side.

Hary Redknapp was at the helm for a team that mixed youth with experience with the likes of Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole mixed in with Neil Ruddock, Di Canio and Wright. This stood as their highest points haul for over 15 years until they broke that record...

2 2015/16 - 62 Points

Slaven Billic was the man given the reigns at the beginning of the 2016/17 season, taking over from Sam Allardyce - who had got the club promoted back to the Premier League a few years earlier. It was a tough act to follow, but Billic took everyone by surprise, especially as he led his team to a 3-0 win at Anfield in only his second league game in charge. The captain, Mark Noble, was at his best during this season - featuring in all but one league match - while Dimitri Payet brought a magical touch with him from Marseille in the signing of the season.

It was an emotional time to be a West Ham fan as the club would play their final season at their famous stadium, the Boleyn Ground. Winston Reid gave the supporters a memory that they will never forget as the centre-back netted the winner against Manchester United in their very last game in the ground. Billic and his team gave the fans a fitting ending to their journey in their stadium.

1 2020/21 - 65 Points

West Ham's best-ever Premier League season took many fans by surprise as Hammers' supporters were forced to watch the 2020/21 campaign unfold from home. It is very unfortunate that their best points haul came behind closed doors at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. An opening-day defeat against Newcastle United saw the Irons become one of the favourites to end the season in relegation, but David Moyes' side rallied as the season went on and managed an unexpected sixth-place finish.

Czech Republic midfielder Thomas Soucek - who was signed that season - ended the campaign as the club's top goalscorer along with Michail Antonio, as the pair both managed double figures. With Rice and Noble in the centre of the pitch, the team became more capable of out-working their opposition, while Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen were a handful for opposition defences on either flank.