As West Ham United beat Leicester City on Saturday the Hammers ensured they would be sitting in the top four of the Premier League for Christmas and life as a Hammers supporter at this moment in time could not be much better.

Perhaps it is because of just how far from our minds a season such as this actually was. To have already won nine games after 17 matches when we only picked up 11 victories over the whole of last season shows this has not just been a good season, it has been quite unbelievable.

Sam Allardyce is correct with his comments about waiting until the end of January before realistically setting sights on a top four-place because we know how this usually goes when a team outside of the traditional ‘big four’ is doing well – they inevitably fall away.

But I do have confidence in the depth of the West Ham squad, who have already shown they can overcome the loss of key players.

The game against Leicester was no classic and whilst I felt West Ham never got out of first gear, they did not really need to as the Foxes, for all their possession, lacked quality going forward and unless they improve drastically they will be playing Championship football next season.

With players such as Alex Song, West Ham had experience and composure within the side and two excellent finishes from Andy Carroll and the ever impressive Stewart Downing gave the home side the win.

Downing is the epitome of West Ham this season. Confidence has seen his quality shine through and he has been superb for the majority of the campaign and is surely a real contender even at this stage for Hammer of the year.

Next up is of course Chelsea on Boxing Day. Because of the way West Ham have performed this season they go into this game at Stamford Bridge without any pressure. I just hope Allardyce will send out his side to attack Mourinho’s team and going off a few of the things he had said ahead of the game, I expect West Ham will not be going to west London simply to get a point.

After Mourinho’s jibe about West Ham playing ‘19th Century football’ when the two sides played out a goalless draw in January, it would be fitting if this West Ham side, playing a vastly-improved style of football, went and rammed those comments down the Special One’s throat.

Chelsea are an extremely strong side and it is their title to lose, but I do not feel anyone has really tried to get at them this season. Whether West Ham have the ability to do this without simply being picked apart remains to be seen but there is a quiet confidence that with a very good performance and a bit of luck, there may be something for the Hammers in this game.

Regardless of the score the confidence amongst the West Ham fans is likely to remain as we head for 2015.

There will be many ups and downs for the remainder of the season but I do not feel this new-found optimism in this West Ham team is misplaced.