There were more than a few nervous Hammers in the London Stadium on Thursday night as Serbian side Backa Topola took the lead against West Ham United early in the second half, but an incisive flurry masterminded by James Ward-Prowse's creativity and Mohammed Kudus' dynamism clinched victory.
Last year's Europa Conference League champions, West Ham are seeking ascendency to the next level and now have their eye on Europa League glory. It's early days, true enough, but there is quality in abundance in this Irons squad and a foray into the latter stages is more than feasible.
Having won three and lost just one of their opening five Premier League fixtures, David Moyes' side dispatched TSC after a dreadful blunder from veteran defender Angelo Ogbonna, but ultimately, the home side's quality shone through, notably through James Ward-Prowse.
How did James Ward-Prowse play vs Backa Topola?
Having signed from relegated Southampton for around £30m in August, the creative midfielder looks to be one of the bargains of the summer, with his brace of assists on his West Ham European debut now taking his tally to seven goal contributions from five matches. Incredible.
Against the Serbian opposition, the 28-year-old produced a match-best rating of 8.4 – as per Sofascore – complementing his assists with seven key passes, a remarkable 94% passing accuracy.
Journalist Josh Bunting was among those waxing effusive over his seamless integration into the squad, saying: "He’s just fitted in so well, got to grips so quickly with the movement of his teammates, always has been a threat from set-pieces. More freedom in his role really helps."
Truly, an all-encompassing, quick-witted, sharp-shooting midfielder, and the promise he has in this burgeoning West Ham team is, frankly, frightening.
A slow start to the summer market threatened to derail the good work Moyes and co have plied over the past several years, but it all paid off with astute moves made to replace Declan Rice, and while Ward-Prowse is the undisputable success story, Konstantinos Mavropanos also proved his worth and then some in defence.
How did Konstantinos Mavropanos play vs Backa Topola?
The former Arsenal centre-half had been flourishing in the German Bundesliga before the Premier League came a-calling after an initial failure, with West Ham signing the Greek titan from Stuttgart for £19m.
Heralded as a "gladiator" by his erstwhile manager Pellegrino Matarazzo, the 25-year-old dazzled on his debut against Backa Topola, and after Ogbonna's disappointing night, will likely have done himself justice as Moyes allocates him to a wrung of the squad ladder.
Praised for his "impressive" performance by journalist Dan Woffenden, Mavropanos looked like he had plied his trade under Moyes' wing for years; commanding and courageous, he produced a pleasing, rounded display.
Indeed, Mavropanos won all three of his ground duels, only lost possession eight times despite taking a mammoth 108 touches and completing 86 passes, succeeded with both of his attempted dribbles, and made two clearances and interceptions apiece, achieving a commendable 7.7 match score.
Given that he ranks within the top 10% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, shot-creating actions, progressive carries, successful take-ons, interceptions and aerial wins per 90, as per FBref, he's evidently one of the most dynamic defenders in Europe, and his skill set will pay dividends for Moyes' side.
West Ham have their eye on the prize, and while the sunlight of the competition's dawn has scarcely bespeckled the campaign, with further imperious showings from the likes of Ward Prowse and Mavropanos – married with the trophy-winning credentials of the lion's share of the squad – well, there's a pretty good chance of emulating last season's great victory.