West Ham eased to qualification for the Europa Conference League knockout stages as a 2-1 victory over Anderlecht retained their 100 per cent record in this season’s tournament.
Both Hammers goals came in the first half hour and each were fine strikes. Said Benrahma opened the scoring from a free kick, which he himself won, and his curler left Anderlecht goalkeeper Hendrik Van Crombrugge with no chance.
Then Jarrod Bowen, playing a lone role upfront, received a square ball from Emerson on the edge of the box and teed himself up to launch a left-footed rocket inside the top right hand corner.
The hosts were in cruise control thereafter until a soft penalty was awarded two minutes from time when Sebastiano Esposito went down in the box after colliding with Ben Johnson’s foot which had just cleared the ball.
Esposito got up to put the penalty home but the Belgian side could not force a draw. West Ham are now eight points clear of this opposition, who lie third in the group, with two games remaining.
TALKING POINT
Defensive injuries could be a problem – David Moyes has managed to create a squad which has enough depth to make eight changes from the Premier League side at the weekend and still look a class above the opposition in this competition. However, this could be tested after Angelo Ogbonna came off in the first half with what appeared to be a knee injury and then his replacement Craig Dawson leaving the field near the end of the game after a collision with Flynn Downes. Dawson partnered Kurt Zouma at the heart of the defence in a back four at the weekend so Moyes could be forced to deploy the back three he played tonight, or maybe shift young right back Ben Johnson to centre half at Southampton on Sunday.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Said Benrahma (West Ham) – He and Jarrod Bowen were the two who lit up the game for West Ham and deservedly both found themselves on the scoresheet. Whereas Bowen was given the last half hour off, Benrahma stayed on and was close to an assist when he laid the ball on a plate for Tomas Soucek and a second goal when his free kick just didn’t curl back enough. The Algerian has been criticised for his indifferent start to the season but he showed his quality on this occasion.
PLAYER RATINGS
West Ham: Areola 6; Johnson 6, Ogbonna 6, Cresswell 7; Coufal 7, Downes 7, Lanzini, Emerson 7; Benrahma 8*, Paqueta 7; Bowen 7.
Subs: Dawson 6, Fornals 7, Rice 6, Scamacca 6, Soucek 6
Anderlecht: Van Crombrugge 6; Debast 6, Delcroix 7, N’Diaye 6; Murillo 6, Diawara 6, Arnstad 6, Verschaeren 7, Amuzu 6; Fabio Silva 6, Esposito 7.
Subs: Sadiki 6, Stroeykens 6, Vertonghen 6, Hoedt 6, Stassin 6.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
14′ GOAL FOR WEST HAM! Benrahma won it, then scored from it. A fantastic free kick hit with his right foot curling over the wall and down inside the bottom right post giving the keeper little chance.
30′ GOAL FOR WEST HAM! Bowen takes a ball Emerson fizzed into him from the left flank, took a couple of touches and then drilled home into the roof of the net with his left foot.
34′ YOU DO NOT EXPECT THAT! Chilwell pulled a ball back from the by-line to Bowen just outside the six-yard box and he took a fresh air-shot. Very unlike him.
88′ PENALTY FOR ANDERLECHT! Johnson clears as Esposito attempts a shot and was then kicked by the Anderlecht man who fell down and won a penalty. No VAR to save the Hammers either.
89′ GOAL FOR ANDERLECHT! Esposito sends Areola the wrong way.
