West Ham United play ‘Sweet Caroline’ after victories at the London Stadium and as one supporter headed towards the exit from the upper tier of the west stand following the 2-0 victory over Leicester City, he could be heard saying: “I can’t wait to sing this song again when we’re back in Europe.”

Although it may seem too premature, those wishes are not as fanciful as they were a couple of months ago. After all, it is a long-term objective for head coach Graham Potter. In midweek, he avoided answering whether he could have been Steve Cooper’s successor at Leicester. Instead, he chose to outline why West Ham was the right fit. Part of the appeal was returning the club to happier times and the European adventures that brought such joy under David Moyes.

Victories over Arsenal and Leicester add credence to Potter being the right fit. He has set the template for future success, which is attributed to his trusted 5-3-2 formation. Tomas Soucek and an own goal from Jannik Vestergaard sealed Potter’s third win in his first seven league games since replacing Julen Lopetegui.

The 1-0 win over Arsenal appears to have been a turning point with the players, backroom staff and fans were all united. As the squad savoured the moment in front of the away end at the Emirates, nothing much mattered apart from the fact that everyone associated with West Ham looked happy.

Triumph over Leicester last night was about building on (and sticking to) good habits. Arsenal seldom threatened West Ham’s defence and that was the case for Leicester. Potter later admitted the performance was not “Champagne football” but it was another step in the right direction. West Ham have now kept consecutive clean sheets for the first time since November (when they won 2-0 away to Newcastle United and drew 0-0 at home with Everton), and their first back-to-back league wins since March.

“We’re delighted with two wins, two clean sheets and six points,” Potter told TNT Sports. “It is (a long time since back-to-back league wins). We were aware of it so we’re delighted for the players because they’ve been working really hard. Back-to-back league wins isn’t easy in the Premier League, especially when you factor our recent record.

“There’s a lot of potential here. Talent is one thing, but you have to be a team and the foundations have to be good, which is what we’ve been working on a lot. Hopefully they are getting the rewards for that. Talent isn’t enough in this league; you have to keep clean sheets, defend well and do the ugly side of the game as well, and the players have done (that). They will have a couple of days off over the weekend. They are pressuring me for more but I’m standing firm!”

Potter has lifted morale and intensity in training sessions. He is building the team in his image and will be backed by the board this summer. Jonathan David, the Lille forward and long-time transfer target, is among the many options West Ham have lined up. Signing a striker is still a priority, despite Evan Ferguson’s arrival on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion. The forward, whose deal does not include an obligation to buy, squandered a great opportunity from close range against Leicester to score his first goal for the club.

Anderlecht attacking midfielder Mario Stroeykens is on West Ham’s radar. So too is Brighton & Hove Albion central defender Adam Webster, who previously worked under Potter.

But uncertainty remains over the futures of Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Cresswell, Michail Antonio and Danny Ings, all of whom are out of contract this summer. Fabianski recently lost the No 1 jersey to Alphonse Areola, Fulham made multiple offers for Coufal on deadline day, Cresswell has featured heavily under Potter, Antonio is rehabbing from a broken leg, and Ings remains a peripheral figure.

Towards the end of the January transfer window, Potter stated repeatedly that whoever joins needs to be a good fit.

Until then, his focus will be on improving captain Jarrod Bowen, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, Soucek and the returning Lucas Paqueta. The quartet will be key in helping them climb the table further.

Bowen continues to showcase why he is one of the best players outside the ‘Big Six’, Wan-Bissaka’s form merits senior England recognition, Todibo’s composure on the ball has been key to the marked defensive improvement, while Soucek remains the heart and soul of the midfield. The Czech, who registered his sixth league goal of the season on his 30th birthday, outlined his ambition.

“We’ve shown team spirit in the last two games,” he told TNT Sports. “The first half was a very good performance but we made a few mistakes in the second half. But we won, it’s a great result and it will help our manager believe what we are doing, so we are grateful for it. It’s been a tough season but we want to finish as high as possible.

“Big teams like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are around us. We want to do better than Tottenham, given our rivalry.”

Potter allowed himself a faint smile when talking about West Ham’s improvement. This team has potential and, with the right additions this summer, the supporters’ wishes for Europe may come true once more.

(Top photo: Todibo joins Bowen to celebrate the second goal against Leicester. Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Roshane Thomas is a staff writer who covers West Ham United for The Athletic. Previously, he worked for the Sunday Times and talkSPORT. Follow Roshane on Twitter @RoshaneSport