West Ham United defender Konstantinos Mavropanos believes the Hammers have finally rediscovered their identity, insisting recent results prove they are far better than a relegation fight as momentum swings back in their favour.
Not long ago, the mood in east London was bleak. West Ham had gone ten matches without a win, confidence was fragile, and clean sheets had dried up since August.
Fast forward a few weeks and the picture looks very different. A crucial FA Cup victory over Queens Park Rangers lit the fuse, and a composed 2-0 Premier League win against Burnley underlined a revival that has tightened the gap to Nottingham Forest to just two points.
Mavropanos, who has played every minute during West Ham’s run of five wins in eight games, pinpointed the QPR tie as the moment belief returned.
“We spoke in the dressing room and mentioned that it can be the game that changes the whole situation and give us a lot of energy and boost for the Premier League battle,” he said.
“And I think this is what happened after the QPR game. I think we’ve been playing really good football, getting better results and being stronger.”
From there, confidence flowed. Performances sharpened, defensive solidity returned, and West Ham began to resemble a side with top-flight quality.
Asked whether this squad looks too strong to go down, Mavropanos was candid.
“With the quality that we have individually, you can see some players, how good they are. There are many times that I was thinking this, but when you go on the pitch you just have to show this.
“And there were moments that we couldn’t show that as we wanted, but I think the last couple of weeks we had some good results and we showed what we are capable of.”
Stability has not always been easy to find. The Greek international has dealt with changes in managers, centre-back partnerships and goalkeepers throughout the campaign.
His current understanding alongside Axel Disasi has been key, with Mads Hermansen now operating behind the back line after a long spell as deputy.
“Yeah, it has been a difficult period for him,” Mavropanos said of Disasi. “But since he arrived, I think he has shown how good a player he is and what he can bring to the team, helping defensively with our work and with how strong he is. We’re just happy to have him here.”
True to form, Mavropanos kept specifics behind closed doors, offering little detail on who led the rallying cry before QPR, the influence of Paco Jemez, or the nuances between playing with Hermansen and Alphonse Areola.
Instead, he is letting his football do the talking. In arguably his strongest run since arriving from Stuttgart in 2023, Mavropanos has become a pillar of West Ham’s resurgence.
If that level continues, the Hammers may yet prove that relegation talk was always premature.
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