West Ham United have a lesser-spotted record that they can boast ahead of the new 2022/23 Premier League season next weekend.
The Hammers will look for a third straight top seven finish this term and to reach the Europa Conference League for a second straight campaign on the continent, with David Moyes’ side reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League.
Ahead of the season, it has been a busy transfer window across the top-flight, although the Hammers’ squad has not changed all that much so far. Based on data from @Experimental361 on Twitter, West Ham’s squad has the highest retention rate in the Premier League from last season, based on minutes played by players who are still at the club from last term.
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This summer, Alex Kral left at the end of his loan spell, while Mark Noble, Ryan Fredericks, David Martin and Andriy Yarmolenko all left at the end of their contracts, although their departures have not affected the familiarity of last season’s most commonly used players all that much.
The Hammers’ retention rate is 97.3%, a total that is not only the highest in the Premier League, but also the highest across all four of England’s top divisions. Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City also have retention rates of over 95%, while recently promoted Fulham (81.6%) and Nottingham Forest (52%) have the lowest in the division.
Top of the Championship are Bristol City, with a retention rate of 92.4%, with Reading sitting at the bottom with 41.4%. Plymouth Argyle (86.3%) and Stockport County (76.2%) sit top of League One and League Two, with Milton Keynes Dons (44.7%) and Rochdale (28.8%) bottom of those leagues respectively.
Of West Ham’s four signings this summer, Areola is the only one with Premier League experience after spending last season on loan at the London Stadium from Paris Saint-Germain, as well as previously representing Fulham. Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes and Gianluca Scamacca are all newcomers to England’s top-flight.
Full Premier League retention percentage list, based on Experimental361’s data:
West Ham United 97.3%
Tottenham Hotspur 96.7%
Leicester City 96.2%
Aston Villa 94.8%
Newcastle United 93.3%
Arsenal 91.9%
Brentford 91.6%
Liverpool 91.6%
Brighton and Hove Albion 91.1%
Southampton 89%
Crystal Palace 87%
Manchester United 85.3%
Bournemouth 84.1%
Everton 83.3%
Leeds United 83%
Manchester City 82.8%
Wolverhampton Wanderers 82.6%
Chelsea 82.4%
Fulham 81.6%
Nottingham Forest 52%
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