Paul Merson asked if West Ham can finish in the top six

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Paul Merson has told The Debate on Sky Sports (broadcast on 23/9 from 22:00) that he has his doubts about West Ham’s chances of finishing in the top six this season.

The Hammers currently sit fifth in the table after beating Manchester United 2-0 on Sunday. Manuel Pellegrini’s men are now just two points off Manchester City in second.

The Irons have not lost a game since the opening day and have kept four clean sheets in a row in all competitions. The club’s supporters could certainly be forgiven for being excited about what they could achieve this term.

But when asked about West Ham’s prospects, Merson suggested that he has concerns about how ruthless they are going to be in the final third.

“Will West Ham finish in the top six? You’ve got to look at it two weeks ago against Villa. They drew 0-0 against Villa. No disrespect but Arsenal scored three goals against them with 10 men,” he told The Debate.

“I like West Ham. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t know if they’re going to score enough goals. A lot of people asked me about this game at the weekend. I said it could be anything. If Manchester United win, you wouldn’t be shocked. If West Ham won, you wouldn’t be shocked. It was one of those games.”

TBR’s View

While Merson may have his concerns, there is no question that West Ham have a frightening amount of quality going forward.

Sebastien Haller and Pablo Fornals arrived in the summer. Manuel Lanzini will be looking to play a more prominent role this year, and Felipe Anderson will be hoping to make an even bigger impact in his second year in the Premier League.

It does appear that a top six spot could be up for grabs this term. And based on West Ham’s start, it looks foolish to rule them out of the running.