West Ham’s woeful form since the turn of the year has seen them slide down the Premier League table and out of European contention.
Three consecutive seasons of European football has been unprecedented territory for West Ham.
Supporters have loved their adventures over land and sea.
So the prospect of not having European football at West Ham next season is a bleak one.
Unfortunately the club’s slide from within touching distance of the top four down to 10th means it is a very real one too.
The Hammers were flying high in sixth at the turn of the year after that 2-0 win at Arsenal.
West Ham have dropped out of top six contention
No wins in their six Premier League matches in 2024 has resulted in an eight-point gap opening up to the top six.
West Ham can close that gap to five with victory over bogey side Brentford on Monday night.
But it is a gap which may not need to be bridged to secure a fourth consecutive season of European football at the London Stadium, though.
Because West Ham have been given new European hope ahead of the Brentford clash thanks to the cup outcome.
Of course if West Ham go on and win the Europa League they will qualify for the new-look Champions League next season.
New European hope can ignite West Ham’s run-in
But that will be no easy task given the likes of Liverpool, Bayer Levekusen and AC Milan are among the strong favourites.
Liverpool have inadvertently helped the Hammers, though.
Because the Reds’ Carabao Cup victory over Chelsea on Sunday now means European qualification should go down to seventh spot in the Premier League.
And that is still very much within West Ham’s reach in the last 13 games. A win over Brentford will bring West Ham level on points with seventh-placed Brighton.
Liverpool’s Conference League place goes to seventh spot
The Seagulls have a far superior goal difference as a result of West Ham’s woeful 2024 form.
But should the Hammers turn things around between now and May in the league, there is no reason they cannot aim to finish seventh.
League leaders Liverpool are all but guaranteed to secure European football via the league.
So the Europa Conference League spot reserved for the Carabao Cup winners now goes to the next highest placed team not in Europe in the Premier League – which will be seventh spot.
As well as advancing in the Europa League, it does at least give West Ham and David Moyes something very tangible to aim for in the remaining three months of the campaign.
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