Mohammed Kudus promises to improve

Mohammed Kudus is hoping his promising personal record against Newcastle United can help him power West Ham United to success when the Tynesiders arrive in east London to night.

The Hammers are looking to extend their impressive winning run to three games under the London Stadium lights, having found some rhythm after a largely inconsistent season, and toppled both Arsenal and Leicester City in their last two games.

While squad transition in the summer and a winter change in manager may have contributed to a testing campaign that has left the Club sitting 15th in the ranks with eleven games left, at the time of writing, Kudus admits there is still plenty more to come from him personally.

After finishing as runner-up in the voting for the 2023/24 Hammer of the Year award, following 14 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions during his debut season in Claret Blue, including two against Newcastle, the Ghana international has struck three times in 25 outings this term, and endured a five-game suspension after being sent-off against Tottenham Hotspur in October.

“I've been below the standards I've set for myself this season,” the 24-year-old said, speaking in an exclusive interview for the Official Programme. “To be honest, it's been a very difficult season, as we as a team had our expectations set very high.

“I've been below the standards I've set for myself. With the standards I've set and what I've shown, I think everyone also expects a lot from me, but I expect a lot from myself as well."

“I'll keep doing my thing and keep trying until the last game of the season. I know a lot of things haven't gone well this season. 

It's football, there are a lot of ups and downs, but you need to be yourself at all times.

“I've set very high expectations of myself, even more than what the fans and others think, and I know the input and impact I can have in a game. I wouldn't say it's been my best season, but as a team, we’re at a stage right now where we are building and growing.

“The most important thing for me is to keep going and keep believing in myself and doing my thing. There's a lot more to come from me.” —WHUFC.com