West Ham produced an expert efficiency to safe prime spot in Group A and a spot within the Europa League final 16 with a 2-0 win over a below-par Freiburg on Thursday night time.
The Hammers took the lead when Mohammed Kudus made a intelligent run and lashed in his seventh aim of the season, with the sensible Edson Alvarez’s first for the membership doubling the lead simply earlier than the break.
Freiburg – who had gained their final three video games, with out conceding, in all competitions – discovered themselves in positions of promise on a number of events, however did little to check Lukasz Fabianski, who as soon as once more deputised in aim for Alphonse Areola.
In consequence, whereas the Hammers advance straight to the final 16, which takes place in March, the Bundesliga facet will face a knockout spherical play-off in February to aim to earn their spot within the subsequent spherical of the competitors.
How West Ham strolled to prime spot
As a lot as West Ham knew what they needed to do to complete prime of their group, offering an ample response to Sunday’s thumping 5-0 defeat away at Fulham was little doubt excessive on the precedence record for David Moyes and his gamers.
It didn’t take lengthy for them to get into their stride. First, Kudus skipped away from his man and squared for Lucas Paqueta to rattle a shot off the crossbar, earlier than the Ghana worldwide made a intelligent run to beat the offside entice, latch onto Alvarez’s ball excessive and fireplace throughout Noah Atubolu, into the again of the web.
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Mohammed Kudus celebrates placing West Ham 1-0 up on the London Stadium
Jarrod Bowen then had the ball within the internet after a carbon copy of the opener, solely to be dominated offside within the build-up, but it surely was 2-0 when Alvarez obtained the ball from Paqueta, escaped his marker, collected the return move from Bowen and fired dwelling a harmful second simply earlier than the break.
Early within the second half, Kudus got here near a second, when he fired inches previous the put up after being launched by Bowen, however as the sport progressed, it turned clearer missed probabilities wouldn’t be punished.
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Talking on the ‘Soccer Present’, Peter Smith assesses David Moyes’ contract state of affairs at West Ham, together with his present deal set to run out on the finish of the season.
Freiburg had created 0.09 xG by the break, 0.14 by the hour mark and set-piece routines weren’t coming to fruition for them, both. Moyes may even afford to withdraw Bowen and Paqueta with nearly 20 minutes remaining.
In equity, the German facet did handle to check Fabianski in direction of the top. Ritsu Doan’s low effort was saved out by a well-timed dive to the suitable, earlier than Merlin Rohl’s shot with 5 minutes to play was held, too. However it was too little, too late.
Moyes ‘thrilled’ with win | ‘Not enjoying in EL once more till March is huge’
West Ham supervisor David Moyes:
“I am thrilled. I assumed we performed effectively for lengthy durations, went a few objectives up after which missed a few actually good probabilities, which may have possibly wrapped it up a bit sooner that simply saved us hanging on just a little bit. We simply did not need to drop off it. I knew the sport would change, they might come into it a bit extra and we had been making an attempt to see it out greater than something within the second half. We did a extremely good job.
“It was much more prefer it, actually in Europe. We have carried out very effectively in Europe during the last three years and this was a great win in opposition to a great German facet; it is by no means simple to beat German groups. I assumed we even performed higher tonight than we did in Freiburg – and I assumed we did a great job in Freiburg as effectively.
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David Moyes’ facet don’t play within the Europa League once more till March
“We misplaced to Olympiakos, but it surely’s the one loss we have had in 19 or 20 video games now. It is an incredible report for us as a result of we’re not a widely known European membership in the mean time. It has been nice for us. General, I feel we deserved it and, fortunately, we’re on the prime.
“Let me let you know, it’s actually large [not to have to play in Europe until March] due to the quantity of video games all people has received within the schedule. We’re all going right into a busy interval, which we all know – our tradition means we play plenty of video games round Christmas.”
Hammers’ European dream reveals no indicators of dying – Opta factsWest Ham have certified as group winners in every of their final three seasons in European competitors, profitable 15 of their 18 matches (D1 L2), certainly solely FC Bayern München (17) have gained extra group stage video games in Europe in that point.West Ham United have gained 10 consecutive dwelling video games in all European competitors (inc. qualifiers), turning into simply the fifth English group to register 10 dwelling wins in a row, together with Arsenal (1971), Man Metropolis (2021 and 2023), Man Utd (1968 and 2008) and Tottenham (1971, 1974 and 2022).Having additionally gained 2-1 in Freiburg on MD2 of the 2023-24 UEFA Europa League, West Ham United have defeated a German facet twice in the identical European season for the primary time ever.West Ham’s Edson Álvarez scored his first aim for the membership (nineteenth look), whereas in additionally aiding Mohammed Kudus for the opener, he turned the primary participant to each rating and help in a single UEFA Europa League recreation for the Hammers.What’s subsequent?
Sunday seventeenth December 1:00pm
Kick off 2:00pm
West Ham flip their consideration again to the Premier League as they play Wolves at dwelling on Tremendous Sunday, reside on Sky Sports activities with kick-off at 2pm.
Freiburg tackle FC Koln within the Bundesliga on Sunday, with kick-off at 2.30pm.