And now it’s official.

Albion's class of 2021-22 are the best in the club’s 121-year history.

They secured a first-ever top-ten top-tier finish with a high-powered second half that their efforts over this campaign deserved and demanded.

Then that became ninth as Wolves lost at Liverpool.

Graham Potter does not want this season of progress to be judged solely on league placing.

But a potential 13th place, equalling the previous best set 40 years ago, felt slightly underwhelming as Michail Antonio’s rocket gave West Ham a half-time lead.

It could not end like that.

Joel Veltman, Pascal Gross and Danny Welbeck scored as Albion poured forward after the break, scoring three second-half goals before the North Stand for the second match in a row.

It all led to memorable scenes at the end as Albion’s players took their bow before their fans.

Adam Webster made only his 16th Premier League start of the campaign.

Leandro Trossard was not involved in the matchday 20 as a result of a knock picked up at Leeds a week earlier.

Enock Mwepu was among the subs after injury.

West Ham started with the XI which opened a 2-0 lead against Manchester City in their previous game.

Moises Caicedo had the first effort of the game, a low shot forcing Lukasz Fabianski to dive low to his left to save after some flowing build-up play which got Marc Cucurella striding forward down the left.

That was part of a confident opening by the hosts and Fabianksi had to scramble away a low cross delivered by Solly March, who was off to a strong start.

Then Cucurella had a shot blocked after March and Caicedo worked space for him to the left of goal.

West Ham started to see more of the ball, with Declan Rice spraying passes, and Caicedo had to make a timely interception in his own box.

There were key defensive headers by Lewis Dunk and Webster as dangerous crosses came in.

Albion had moved into a back-four set-up, with Veltman wide on the right enjoying a good tussle with Antonio.

But that still allowed Cucurella to charge forward down the left, as he did in a move which ended with Gross shooting high and wide approaching the half-hour.

Proceedings had a bit of an end-of-term feel at that stage.

The afternoon suddenly took on a new sense of urgency for West Ham, and their quest for sixth place, with news Crystal Palace had gone ahead at home to Manchester United.

Almost immediately, Antonio crashed an emphatic finish inside the far post to put the Hammers ahead with Albion claiming he had shoved Dunk over before letting fly.

That put West Ham into a Europa League berth and had Albion down to 13th on the as-it-stands table at the break.

There was a rather subdued hush around the Amex as players returned for the second half.

Neal Maupay was among them, having replaced Bissouma.

The Frenchman was immediately involved in an attack which ended when his shot took a deflection which made it easy for Fabianski to gather.

The equaliser, though, was not long in coming – via a hugely popular scorer Cucurella threaded the ball in from the left, Gross crossed, March laid it off and Veltman saw his shot, which was a decent enough hit but saveable, somehow go through Fabianski.

Albion were playing with confidence again and only some desperate last-ditch defending denied them after a super move again involving Maupay.

West Ham’s response saw Dunk slide in to make a great clearance as a low cross headed towards Antonio.

Welbeck, a scorer in this fixture last season, thought he had done so again after Caicedo won the ball and set his side moving.

Cucurella and Gross combined superbly with Welbeck, who sidefooted across the face of goal and inches wide of the far post.

A fired-up, busy Maupay was a making a nuisance of himself and referee Friend decided a few calming words was the right move as West Ham demanded a card for a foul on Lanzini.

March’s final contribution before making way for Tariq Lamptey was to, out of a very little, force a corner from which Webster powered a header narrowly over.

But the lead came in the 80th minute – and in explosive style.

PASCAL GROSS HAILED AS A BRIGHTON LEGEND

The recently introduced Mwepu was involved in the build-up.

Albion worked things nicely across the edge of the box before Gross turned and thrashed an unstoppable left-foot shot high past the startled Fabianski.

Maupay saw yellow for a needless lunge which gave his side a dangerous free-kick to defend.

But they stood firm, with Lamptey blocking a fierce shot.

Then Lamptey popped up at the other end and shot a couple of yards over from outside the box.

Welbeck had a glorious chance to secure the win but headed Lamptey’s pinpoint cross gently into Fabianski’s hands.

But he made no mistake with a textbook downward header from a stoppage-time corner to complete the day.

Albion: Sanchez; Veltman, Dunk, Webster; March (Lamptey 75), Bissouma (Maupay 46), Caicedo (Mwepu 79), Mac Allister, Gross, Cucurella; Welbeck. Subs not used: Steele, Duffy, Offiah, Alzate, Lallana, Ferguson.

Goals: Veltman 50, Gross 80, Welbeck 90+2.

Yellow card: Maupay (83) foul.

West Ham: Fabianski; Coufal (Johnson 81), Zouma, Dawson, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Fornals (Noble 81), Lanzini (Yarmolenko 81), Bowen; Antonio. Subs not used: Areola, Randolph, Fredericks, Masuaku, Kral, Okoflex.

Goal: Antonio 40.

Yellow card: Soucek (43) foul.

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)