 This marked the beginning of what is still arguably West Ham's finest strikeforce since the Tony Cottee/Frank McAvennie partnership of the 1980s, and a contrast following the disappointing spells of strikers like Florin Raducioiu and Paulo Futre.Kitson bagged two against Chelsea in a 3–2 win, two against Everton in a 2–2 draw, and bagged a hat-trick against Sheffield Wednesday in a 5–1 win.West Ham survived relegation despite a tough season and finished 14th, with Kitson's eight goals in 14 league games being priceless to their survival.