The National's Sport cover for the Wednesday, October 28 issue, featuring West Ham United, the surprise of the Premier League after 10 matches.
After a weekend win over Chelsea, West Ham sit a shocking third in the league table, with wins over some of the Premier League’s most serious title contenders, including Arsenal and Manchester City.
Greg Lea writes about the West Ham phenomenon so far this year:
“he two major surprises can be found at either end of the table, with West Ham United flying high in third and Chelsea languishing in 15th place.
“The pair of expectation-confounders met at Upton Park on Saturday, with the reaction to West Ham’s 2-1 victory dominated by discussions of the champions’ meltdown and Jose Mourinho’s banishment to the directors’ box.
“While Chelsea were poor and continue to look a pale imitation of the side that won the title so convincingly last term, Slaven Bilic’s outfit deserve great credit for another excellent performance and result.
“It has certainly been a remarkable start to the campaign, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea all vanquished by a side who are clinical on the counter-attack.
“Despite all that, a place in the top four remains highly unlikely, even with Chelsea in crisis and Liverpool continuing to struggle.
“For now, though, Bilic and his charges can simply enjoy their lofty league position. With the table starting to take shape after 10 matches, West Ham fans will relish what they see.”
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