AFTER a torrid start to the season, I am now optimistic as to how things will pan out for West Ham United.

A great win at Everton has been followed up by a goalless draw with Chelsea that we could have actually won.

Chelsea dominated possession, but Michail Antonio missed a fantastic chance from three yards out in the first half and Andriy Yarmolenko should have scored the winner with a header in the second half.

West Ham have turned their season around in the last two matches and a lot of that is down to Manuel Pellegrini finding a midfield three that works brilliantly.

Mark Noble, Pedro Obiang and Declan Rice have been superb and have not put a foot wrong in the last two matches.

Noble had been written off by a lot of people, but he has been top drawer.

He is West Ham through and through and no-one should underestimate how much of a difference that makes.

He covers more ground than anyone, wears his heart on his sleeve and has desire like no-one else.

Obiang has been great as well, while Rice has also shone.

Rice came to the club as a youngster from Chelsea but he knows what West Ham is about because he has been at the club for a number of years and he is a London boy himself.

Noble, Obiang and Rice are the spine of the team now and we look so much better - in attack and defence - than we did in the first four Premier League matches of the season.

The midfield trio have kickstarted our season, but we have also improved defensively.

Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop look fantastic at the back and they are better than what we previously had as defensive options at the club.

I’m chuffed after the last two matches and now I’m hoping we can kick on and have an enjoyable season.