WEST HAM’S European winning streak continues as they confirmed top spot in their Europa Conference League group with a game to spare.
The Hammers recorded their seventh straight Euro victory of the season after Manuel Lanzini’s 24th minute penalty saw off Silkeborg at the London Stadium.
And on a night when they only needed a point to get the job done, it was also their sixth successive home win in all competitions – the first time they have done that in 24 years.
Boss David Moyes can now play the kids in his side’s dead-rubber group stage finale away in Bucharest next week with all eyes on the Last 16 in March as top seeds.
The Conference League has been a godsend for Moyes, providing a rhythm and momentum for his team who started their Premier League campaign with three losses on the spin.
When West Ham visited Silkeborg for the group opener last month – a 3-2 win out in Denmark – they had just one win on the board and sat in the Prem bottom three.
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Fast forward to now and things certainly look rosier. Just two defeats in their last nine in all competitions and back to fighting at the right end of the league table.
And with £30million summer signing Nayef Aguerd making his long-awaited first start, there are reasons to be cheerful and optimistic in east London once more.
The 26-year-old Moroccan defender signed on June 20, only to pick up an ankle injury in a pre-season clash with Rangers on July 19 that required surgery.
Over three months later and Moyes’ first acquisition of a busy summer finally made his debut, starting in the middle of a back three.
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He lasted 76 minutes, being replaced by Thilo Kehrer to rapturous applause and hugs from the bench.
His Morocco national team coaches will also be breathing a sigh of relief, kicking off their Qatar World Cup group against Croatia on November 23.
Aguerd’s return comes at a good time with Craig Dawson still struggling with a troublesome dead leg, in a race to be fit for a trip to Old Trafford on Sunday alongside Lucas Paqueta.
In total, Moyes made nine changes from the starting XI that beat Bournemouth on Monday night, including Jarrod Bowen who also was a worrying absentee from the squad.
In contrast to the reverse fixture, where Silkeborg took the lead and almost snatched a point in a thrilling encounter, West Ham cruised in a drab affair on home soil.
Michail Antonio’s dramatic collapse from minimal contact with keeper Nicolai Larsen won the spot-kick on a night with no VAR, while Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma missed several sitters in either half.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
