Sam Allardyce believes West Ham United are on course to finish tenth or higher in the Premier League after an outstanding win over current champions Manchester City.
The Hammers were fantastic against City, winning individual battles all over the pitch and attacking at will. They now travel to Stoke City on Saturday and Allardyce has stressed that the standard of performance must not drop.
"The victory on Saturday was a fantastic achievement," Big Sam enthused. "We were terrific and we deserved our victory. Every man played his best, that was the beauty for me. We got the victory not many people were expecting.
"Our performance had everything. It had grit, determination, quality and desire and I hope we can perform to a similar level this Saturday."
On-loan midfielder Alex Song was awarded the man-of-the-match after a talismanic performance and the Hammers' manager knows Song will have to be at his best at the Britannia Stadium.
"Song has been a bit in the shadows with Sakho and Valencia grabbing the headlines, but he's got outstanding quality. His prompting, passing and protection he gives to the back players is phenomenal."
Morgan Amalfitano opened the scoring from close range before Diafra Sakho scored his seventh goal in seven starts and Allardyce believes there is more still to come from the Senegalese international.
"Sakho is his own player. He is just so determined and so self-confident which I didn't expect. He has shown no fear since he's come in.
"I don't think he or Enner Valencia really know how good they've been so far this season. The rest of the team has been lifted by them."
While the West Ham manager has enjoyed his side's great start to their league campaign he warned against any complacency as the Hammers have a tough schedule ahead of them.
"There's a long way to go, after all we're only nine games in but we're looking forward to every game, and Saturday away at Stoke is no different. We're approaching a difficult period in December when the games come thick and fast. That'll be a real test for our players and give us an idea of where we really are."
Speaking about West Ham's long term future, Allardyce is convinced the good times are only just beginning, with the move to the new Stratford stadium less than 18 months away.
"The club has got a huge potential. Moving to the new stadium is one of the best decisions the club has made. It's a crucial step if we want to move on and become a top six side.
"The new stadium is going to be one of the most iconic stadiums in Europe. We're making strides to be a top team by the time we move to the stadium, so it's a fantastic time for us at the moment."