1. Fortress Chigwell Construction Stadium
West Ham United women’s team's home campaign was one for the history books. Dagenham turned into a fortress over the course of the season, with only three sides leaving east London victorious.
Our Chigwell Construction Stadium term got up and running with an 85th-minute Riko Ueki header against Liverpool, salvaging a 1-1 draw against the Reds, before a 6-1 hammering of Portsmouth in the Subway® Women’s League Cup.
The women’s team also recorded a 3-0 win at home against Southampton in the League Cup, which followed a 1-0 win against Leicester City and a 5-2 thriller at home to Crystal Palace.
The turn of the year also brought the Hammers a lot of joy in Dagenham, as they chalked up victories against Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion before snatching a stoppage-time equaliser against Manchester City through Manuela Paví.
Then came a 2-0 success against near neighbours Tottenham Hotspur, which preceded a resolute stalemate with high-flying Manchester United.
Overall, the women’s team chalked up the most home WSL points and wins in the Club’s history - a brilliant return - and that could not have been done without the vocal support of the Claret and Blue faithful!
2. Magic Martinez stars in late Kingsmeadow show
Sunday 30 March - the sun beamed down on Kingsmeadow, and it certainly shone on Rehanne Skinner’s side.
Although they fell two goals down, the Hammers reduced the deficit on the stroke of half-time, as Shekiera Martinez latched onto Ueki’s pass before firing low under Hannah Hampton.
That gave the Irons, donning their white third kit, confidence, and they put the home side under pressure throughout the second period. At long last, the pressure finally told, and it was Martinez again. The Germany U23 international rose at the back post to nod Kirsty Smith’s hanging delivery across goal and into the far corner.
Scenes.
Those were the only points Chelsea dropped at home throughout their entire league campaign, and the result was a good marker to show how far the Hammers had come throughout the season.
3. Seventh heaven against Palace
Oh, Martinez was far from done there. A few weeks later, she was on target again, this time netting four goals in the women’s team’s biggest-ever WSL victory - a 7-1 rout away at Crystal Palace.
Martinez, simply unplayable at the VBS Community Stadium, got the scoring underway with a brilliant first-half hat-trick, full of composed, yet scintillating finishes, before she netted her fourth when one-on-one with Palace goalkeeper Shae Yanez in the second period.
But despite the 23-year-old’s four-goal haul, Viviane Asseyi scored the pick of the bunch in south London, clipping a 30-yard lob over Yanez after picking up the ball inside her own half. The France international’s strike was then later voted as the WSL’s Goal of the Month for April.
Also determined to claim a matchball come full-time was substitute Emma Harries, who, after replacing Seraina Piubel in the 71st minute, bagged an eight-minute brace - first clipping the ball into the far corner before tapping home Princess Ademiluyi’s cut-back.
Other records broken that afternoon saw the women’s team score seven goals in a WSL match for the first time and Martinez become the first Hammer to net four in a WSL game.
4. Award, after award, after award
Asseyi picking up the Goal of the Month award was far from the only accolade the women’s team won during the 2024/25 campaign.
Martinez, becoming the first Hammer to win the award, won back-to-back WSL Player of the Month trophies for her scintillating performances in March and April.
She also won the PFA WSL Fans’ Player of the Month award for April, as well as the league’s Rising Star award at the Women’s Professional Game Awards. Also picking up a trophy at that event was captain Katrina Gorry, who was crowned Player Champion of Change.
In the Club’s End of Season awards, voted for by the fans, Asseyi won Hammer of the Year, Martinez was awarded Young Hammer of the Year and Goal of the Season, while Kinga Szemik clinched the Save of the Season accolade for her stop away at Arsenal.
5. Asseyi at her very best
Asseyi has grown in confidence with each season in Claret and Blue, and this campaign was no different. Registering 13 goals and seven assists in all competitions, the 31-year-old was on target in every one of the women’s team’s WSL victories.
Pivotal goals included her strike in the women’s team’s first league victory of the campaign, a 1-0 success at home to Leicester City, as well as goals in wins against Brighton & Hove Albion, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur at Chigwell Construction Stadium.
The France international was also crucial to Skinner’s side’s progression in the Subway® Women’s League Cup, scoring four goals in as many games as the Irons reached the semi-finals of the competition.
As mentioned, her contributions were recognised by the fans, who crowned her their Hammer of the Year.
