West Ham United dispelled any concerns surrounding their 16th-place finish in the Premier League last term by winning the UEFA Europa Conference League in June and pulling off some astute business in the transfer window.
The Hammers have carried the momentum gained from that triumphant occasion this season, topping their Europa League group and occupying seventh position in the league.
A contributing factor to that upward shift in momentum has been the prevalence of quality in their squad as Lucas Paqueta, Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse have all been instrumental.
Ahead of their trip to Aston Villa, the talented Mohammed Kudus is banging down the door to make his first Premier League start after scoring a late equaliser against Newcastle in sensational style.
Who could Mohammed Kudus replace against Aston Villa?
The "generational talent" – as lauded by African journalist Gary Al-Smith – replaced Tomas Soucek off the bench in the 76th minute against Newcastle in the number 10 role and made an instant impact by scoring a venomous half-volley.
Unlike Soucek, Kudus possesses exceptional running power, hawk-eye vision and playmaking abilities that the 28-year-old isn't able to provide, as seen against the Magpies.
Across the 76 minutes he was on the field, the Czech Republic international was virtually non-existent and according to Sofascore, misplaced six of his 14 passes, made zero dribbles, won zero ground duels and lost possession on six occasions.
Kudus, on the other hand, made a devastating impact in the 14 minutes he was on the pitch and not only did he score the game's decisive goal, but he also impressed with his all-action performance, successfully completing 100% of his dribbles, accurately placing nine of his 10 passes, winning one of his two ground duels and making one key pass.
Described by former teammate Calvin Bassey as a "star boy", Kudus was signed to be the difference maker in the final third for West Ham and despite being restricted to cameos off the bench so far, has already passed the eye test of someone who can become a revelation in east London.
How has Mohammed Kudus performed this season?
In the Premier League this term, the 23-year-old has provided Moyes with a flavour of his attacking capabilities, thrilling the masses with his exceptional ball-carrying skills, ability to unlock defences and consistent end product.
He's displayed those attributes in full throttle by successfully completing 75% of his dribbles, winning 67% of his duels, accurately placing 83% of his passes and averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.35 across the last two matches, a victory over Sheffield United and a draw against Newcastle.
While Kudus is not only incredible in possession the 5 foot 9 star is also monstrous without it, demonstrating the hunger and desire to win possession back for his team, utilising his stocky frame to push the opposition off the ball.
In quite simple terms, the ceiling of the Ghanian's potential is limitless and Moyes has to realise this by unleashing him from the off against Villa.
With Bowen and Paqueta potentially operating on either side of the £90k per-week phenom, West Ham could form a fearsome trio that most defences would be running scared to face.