The year 2023 will be remembered among West Ham fans as the one in which their side, in their own particular way, conquered Europe.
Here, they signed off on in the Europa League until March with a controlled performance fitting of a team who have come to make the novelty of competing on the continental front appear part of an old routine across two-and-a-half excellent campaigns - and counting.
Only the five English clubs most seasoned in Uefa competition this century - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and the two Manchesters - had previously finished top of the group in three consecutive European campaigns, but with a 2-0 win over Freiburg the Hammers added a sixth name to that list.
A draw would have been enough to have the same effect, but having been walloped 5-0 by Fulham on Sunday, an almost full-strength side was sent out with instructions to deliver a response, David Moyes taking no chances even amid a hectic schedule as he sought to avoid the headache of two extra matches in the knockout play-off round next year.
Victory and direct progress to the last 16 was inspired, surprisingly, by Edson Alvarez and a newly-discovered attacking streak, the Mexican making one and scoring the other of the two goals before half-time that effectively put the game to bed, Freiburg needing victory to leapfrog the Hammers to the Group A summit.
Signed from Ajax in the summer, Alvarez was effectively tasked with replacing the defensive half of Declan Rice’s game and evidence of his swift importance was presented by his absence through illness at Craven Cottage, where Moyes suffered his heaviest defeat as Irons boss.
Even back in the side, though, few would have had the 26-year-old down as the man to carve the German defence open, a straight, lofted pass exposing a line that stayed ridiculously high all night and setting Mohammed Kudus away to score.
It was only Alvarez’s second assist in West Ham colours and the first had been of rather fortunate award, for a strike credited to Jarrod Bowen at Aston Villa that really ought to have gone down as an own goal after a wicked deflection.
Those two players combined in rather cleaner style here, Alvarez charging through midfield and playing a one-two with the Englishman before galloping in behind to lift home his first Irons goal.
Perhaps still feeling the effects of that illness, or a hefty challenge or two before the break, it was telling that he was the first player withdrawn by Moyes as the game entered a predictable second-half drift.
Since making his debut, Alvarez has missed only two Premier League games and the Hammers have lost them both.
Bowen and Lucas Paqueta were next as Moyes turned attention towards Sunday’s League meeting with Wolves, which is followed by a Carabao Cup quarter-final trip to Liverpool, where victory would be Christmas come early and then some.
Deep into the New Year, though, the Hammers already know they will have European football to savour once more.
