West Ham United will have bemoaned the sojourn of the first international pause of the season after starting so emphatically, a draw and three successive victories getting David Moyes' side off to a flyer.
Where are West Ham in the league table?
Trepidation was rife following the sale of Declan Rice to London rivals Arsenal for £105m, but the Hammers have reinvested shrewdly and made a wealth of exciting signings.
Mohammed Kudus
£38m
Edson Alvarez
£35m
James Ward-Prowse
£30m
Konstantinos Mavropanos
£17m
Sean Moore
N/A
All fees sourced via Sky Sports
Any concerns about a poor season have been eradicated after the early-season success, with the Irons currently wedged in fourth place in the Premier League, having used last season's triumph in the Europa Conference League as a launchpad for further prosperity.
The acquisitions are showing signs of flourishing too, with James Ward-Prowse posting one goal and three assists from just three matches and Edson Alvarez, a holding midfielder, hailed for his "excellent" start to life in London by one tactical writer.
One player who is yet to make their mark is the exciting Mohammed Kudus, having made his debut in the final minute of the recent 2-1 victory against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road.
How good is Mohammed Kudus?
The Ghanaian has attracted attention from some of the Premier League's biggest names during 2023, with Brighton & Hove Albion failing to convince the player to join the south coast despite an agreement in principle with Ajax and the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea also registering an interest.
The allure of a prominent role in a talented West Ham team proved decisive, however, and Kudus joined the fold after previously impressing with Ajax and Ghana at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – where he bagged two goals in the group phase, praised as his nation's "star boy" by former teammate and now Fulham defender Calvin Bassey.
Last season, for his former Eredivisie side, Kudus scored 18 goals and supplied seven assists from 42 outings – including just 29 starts.
As per FBref, the 23-year-old ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across leagues most similar to the Dutch top-flight for pass completion, the top 2% for goals scored, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 3% for touches in the attacking box per 90.
Praised for playing "a bit like [Bukayo] Saka" by pundit Kevin Campbell, Kudus often drives into promising openings from the right flank, a box-crashing menace capable of laying waste to the most formidable of defences.
Saka, for reference, ranks among the top 21% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues for goals, the top 19% for assists, the top 9% for progressive carries and the top 4% for touches in the offensive area.
Having also been dubbed a "monster" by some, Kudus – who can operate across the frontline – will offer a thrilling new dimension to West Ham's attack, and he could prove to be the perfect new partner for the Hammers' ever-impressive attacker Jarrod Bowen.
How many goals has Bowen scored for West Ham?
Bowen has been immense for West Ham since completing a £22m transfer from Championship outfit Hull City in 2020, described as "electric" by journalist Rahman Osman and instrumental in the London Stadium side's rise under Moyes' tutelage.
Scoring the last-gasp winning goal against Fiorentina in the Conference League final in June, Bowen cherry-topped a meteoric rise that has established him as one of the Premier League's most impressive forwards, having plundered 31 direct goal contributions in the 2021/22 campaign alone.
With three goals and an assist across the first four fixtures of the Irons' current season, Bowen is a dynamic and incisive threat, and partnering Kudus on the frontline could elevate his game to the next level.
Indeed, in addition to his offensive threat, the £60k-per-week ace ranks among the top 6% of positional peers in Europe for interceptions, the top 21% for clearances and the top 10% for aerial wins per 90, showcasing a defensive application that will allow Kudus to wreak havoc with greater assurance.
It could be a dream duo for Moyes' men, Kudus and Bowen blending to provide a consistent goal threat and an unwavering intensity in driving the ball into promising openings.
West Ham have been tremendous over the past several seasons, eclipsing expectations, but given the resounding summer of transfer business, the ascent is showing little sign of slowing down.
