KAA Gent coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck was left to rue Michail Antonio’s equaliser as West Ham United came from behind to secure a place in the UEFA Conference League semi finals with a 4-1 win on Thursday night.
There was a moment, about ten minutes from the end, when West Ham channelled their inner Barcelona. Tika taka-ing their way around a demoralised Gent side to a chorus of oles.
Following a highly underwhelming campaign, who could blame the Hammers supporters for enjoying themselves, once in a while? They haven’t had many nights like this of late.
This was, perhaps, the finest performance of West Ham’s entire season. The intensity, the aggression, the speed and incision that characterised the Hammers during two outstanding campaigns under David Moyes returning; Hugo Cuypers’ 26th minute opener rendered academic.
And the frustration for visiting coach Vanhaezebrouck was that West Ham barely had to work for their equalising goal just before half-time; Jarrod Bowen’s wicked free-kick headed home almost from pointblank range by an unmarked Michail Antonio.
West Ham hammer Gent in UEFA Conference League
“There is a guy who is 1 meter 80 (tall). He doesn’t even have to walk or jump to head in the ball,” the Gent coach sighs to Sporza.
“He stands at the first post and the route just opened. That was a much too cheap goal. In the first zone, you always have to come or stand in front of your opponent. It’s a pity.
“Now, West Ham went into the dressing room with a boost and not us.”
West Ham certainly came out following the interval like a team who’s confidence had been restored. Lucas Paqueta made up for his misplaced pass in the build-up to Gent’s opener with perhaps his finest 45 minutes in claret and blue; the Brazil international possibly benefitting from the slower pace of European football.
Paqueta scored one and set up another. Antonio also doubled his tally sortly after Declan Rice scored the very definition of a ‘captain’s goal’. Bryan Robson, Roy Keane, Yaya Toure, you name it; Rice’s slaloming solo goal was a piece of brilliance some of English football’s most iconic midfielders would have been proud of.
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