Souček believes West Ham can become even stronger following victory over Palace

Souček is optimistic that this victory is just the start of a new journey for the Hammers as they strive to secure a spot in Europe once more.

“It means a lot. We wanted three points from the first game against Aston Villa, but we didn’t get them,” said Souček. “We know the importance of starting the season well, and it’s a massive three points for us. Now we have to continue on from this moment and play the same way as we did today. 

“I’m happy with the goal because I could’ve scored against Aston Villa. I was disappointed all week with that, but now I scored this important goal, so I’m really happy with that. 

“It was an up and down game, as are most in the Premier League. It’s always important to score first. We know that Crystal Palace had a couple of chances, but we defended very well. We scored the first goal and then the second quickly after to make it a bit safer. 

“We are in a new era now, and we are enjoying it and are excited about what’s to come. We want to be high in the Premier League table and get West Ham back into Europe. We have to continue to fight for each other because the quality of the individuals is great, but we are a team, and I hope after today we can be even stronger.” 

The midfielder spoke on the ever-growing squad which he believes has upped the competition and fight for certain positions in the team. 

“We have many players in the squad, which is important if you want to compete," Souček confirmed. "We know that someone is always waiting for a place behind us. The sessions the manager puts on are great and are of good quality every day. I just want to keep my place in the team and continue to try to help them as well.  

"Obviously, it is nice to score goals. Last season was one of my best with West Ham, so to beat it would be incredible. The coaches have shown that I have the quality to find space in the opposition box and to score the goals, but I can also defend our own box. I have the capability to do both, but I am enjoying scoring goals, and hopefully it can continue. 

“The most impressive thing (about Saturday’s performance) was how we built from the back, and I was very happy with the way we pressed our opponent. But we also gave Crystal Palace many chances to score, so there are places we need to improve as well. 

“The result was so important as it keeps us high in the Premier League, and it’s something to build on. I hope our structure will be even better than today, but we did many good things.”