Ben Johnson, who made his first Premier League start of the season, is happy with how 2024 has begun for West Ham United.
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West Ham’s impressive run this season has been one of the success stories of the Premier League. The Hammers have defied the odds to keep producing important results in the league and Europe. As a result, they are in the knockout rounds of the Europa League and are sitting sixth in the league standings, not something many would have seen coming. West Ham have begun the New Year with a well-earned goalless draw against Brighton & Hove Albion in the league.
Ben Johnson, who made his first Premier League start of the season, is happy with how 2024 has begun for West Ham United. “It’s a good start to the year personally and collectively, a very good point and going unbeaten against a very good Brighton team this season and not conceding against them [tonight] is some feat, so congratulations to all the boys for what we’ve done over the Christmas period as it’s been a successful one,” the right-back told West Ham TV.
Johnson got his chance to start after Vladimir Coufal was ruled out of the match through illness. Speaking about getting the start, the full-back said, “It’s a great feeling, obviously. I’ve had a couple of appearances in cups and in Europe, but to play in the Premier League is just so different as the competitiveness and the intensity are why we do this job and why we enjoy football. To get my first start of the season is just a good feeling and the hard work I’ve put in over the last few months has paid off,” he explained.
He added: “It’s just about finding that rhythm again. It’s a competitive squad and it’s not like I expect to play every week, but when there’s an opportunity for me to come in and play and help the team I’ve got to be bang on it and be as concentrated as I can. We had a few illnesses and I’ve come in and I think I did a steady job for the team and to keep a clean sheet on a personal note was a good thing. Of course I want to keep my place in the team [for Sunday’s home Emirates FA Cup third-round tie with Bristol City], keep going and get as many games as I can for the rest of the season and to play in all the competitions is good, so I’m looking forward to the game on Sunday.”
Johnson was also happy with the effort the team showed despite a lot of rotations happening in the Starting XI due to various reasons. “The whole squad is full of quality with me, Saïd Benrahma and Pablo Fornals coming in tonight and Dinos and Ange coming in in the last few weeks and putting in real good performances and keeping us at a level where we’re looking up rather than looking down. That’s testament to the boys coming in that when we don’t play we work hard, we train well and are professional so that, when the time comes and the manager needs us, we take the opportunity and I feel like the boys did well tonight,” he said.
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