Luck or Skill? West Ham’s Most Unbelievable Wins and What Made Them Possible

Football is ultimately a game of chance. West Ham United fans will know that more than others when it comes to watching The Hammers on the pitch.

While the sport is very much data-driven, given the use of statistics in the modern game, what happens on the pitch can be very different to what many may expect to happen. You can look at a piece of paper, analyze all of the data, make a prediction based on it, and then see something entirely different happen when the players are on the pitch.

Much like the games available at Betway Casino Zambia, strategies can be implemented to maximize win potential. However, luck is required to obtain a positive result at the end of the day. An outcome can be influenced by skill but can’t be predetermined. Football matches are very much the same, as we’ve seen at The Boelyn and London Stadium over the years.

Managers to have been on the Irons’ hot seat throughout their careers have all used various tactics and strategies to secure wins, with some of the victories being among some of the most unbelievable and unlikeliest, even to the die-hard Hammers faithful.

What West Ham victories have been “unbelievable”?

When it comes to thinking about the victories that are “unbelievable”, it’s possible to have a couple of different takes regarding what it may mean. For some, the term unbelievable may mean they gave themselves no chance of winning a match that they did. For others, they may categorize a victory in a match as being unbelievable because it’s something they could only ever dream of witnessing.

One match that perhaps falls into the latter of the two categories was the victory that occurred in Europe to win the Hammers the European Conference League title. With David Moyes in charge, the Irons would go on to win the title in the 2022/23 season; perhaps something that many wouldn’t have felt was possible.

The team put in numerous wins that were of incredible effort and skill, with West Ham starting their efforts in the Play-Off round of the competition. Beating Viborg (as expected), they went 100% in their group against Anderlecht, Silkeborg and FCSB and entered the Round of 16. From there, wearing their Betway-sponsored jersey throughout the tournament and attracting bettors with their performances, they defeated AEK Larnaca, Gent, AZ and then Fiorentina in the final. It was an unbelievable run and one filled with many victories that were of note.

Other matches have also come in European competition. Just a year earlier, the Hammers were competing in the UEFA Europa League and recorded several unbelievable wins before being knocked out in the semifinal. Their comeback against Sevilla in the second leg after losing 1-0 in the first to progress from the Round of 16 was a particular highlight many wouldn’t have been expecting, while their win over Olympique de Lyonnais in the next stage after a 1-1 draw in the first was also unexpected.

Are “unbelievable” wins unkind to West Ham?

It’s perhaps unkind to call certain West Ham wins “unbelievable”, given the quality of the squad they have. The Hammers may not have looked great at the beginning of the season under Julen Lopetegui, but Graham Potter appears to be getting things right at the London Stadium.

They’ve always been able to give some of the very best in the Premier League and Europe a run for their money when they play and can often be a threat. However, with plenty of disappointment having been experienced over the years, sometimes it means so much more to win a game when another outcome is expected.

Perhaps that’s a combination of luck and skill working together?