Two 1-0 wins has certainly lightened the mood around West Ham United after a tricky start to the season.

Slaven Bilic’s side lost five of their first six Premier League matches, and won just one of their opening four matches at the London Stadium, having moved there from Upton Park in the summer.

However, a crucial 1-0 win at Crystal Palace last weekend was succeeded by an equally-important 1-0 victory over Sunderland on Saturday, which has lifted the Hammers out of the bottom three and up to 15th in the table.

Those defensive frailties we saw at the start of the campaign appear to have gone since Bilic changed formation to incorporate a back three, and his side will go into tomorrow’s League Cup match against in-form Chelsea with high hopes of progressing to the last eight.

Nevertheless, there has already been speculation about who Bilic may try and bring in during the January transfer window, as the Hammers look to push on and match last season’s seventh place finish.

Here are TWO players West Ham fans should get excited about in January…

Cesc Fabregas

An integral part of the Chelsea team that won the title under Jose Mourinho in 2015, Cesc Fabregas appears to be a surplus to requirements under new boss Antonio Conte.

The Spanish international has started just one Premier League game this season (as a result of an inspired display against Leicester in the League Cup), yet was hauled off after 55 minutes in the Blues’ 3-0 defeat at Arsenal.

He has not featured in the side since then, and looks like his Chelsea career could be coming to an end in the near future, with West Ham keeping tabs on Fabregas’ situation in West London.

Although Bilic is playing a similar formation to Conte, Fabregas would add more creativity to a side that are finding goals hard to come by this season, and could make the move to East London in January if he remains on the periphery at Stamford Bridge.

Daniel Sturridge

Daniel Sturridge may be getting the odd start at Liverpool, but he doesn’t appear to be adapting to the way Jurgen Klopp wants him to play.

The Liverpool boss demands a lot from his forward players defensively, which is why Roberto Firmino has nailed down the forward role at the club. Sturridge isn’t that sort of player.

Consequently, the England international may look to move on in January, especially if he remains on the substitute’s bench between now and the New Year.

The 27-year-old will know that, to stay in the England set-up, he will need to be playing regularly and scoring goals – at the moment, that is not happening at Liverpool.

West Ham have been linked with a potential move for the striker in January, which could turn out to be a shrewd move for the Hammers as they are certainly lacking a goal-scorer of Sturridge’s class.