While reading through the squad David Moyes picked to take on Sevilla in Thursday’s Europa League round-of-16 second leg, the West Ham United stadium announcer allowed himself to get carried away for a second, such was the enormity of the occasion.
“Our biggest night at the London Stadium and here’s the players that are going to take us on that journey,” he bellowed as a record number of supporters took their seats in an arena that has rapidly become a fortress during Moyes’ second spell at the helm.
“Number 16. Will he carry the trophy? Mark Noble!”
It was easy to scoff at the time. West Ham had lost 1-0 in Andalusia just seven days earlier after all. And Sevilla, six-time winners of the Europa League in the last 15 years, are to this competition what Katherine Hepburn is to the Academy Awards.
But, 120 tense, nail-biting minutes later, West Ham were toasting arguably the biggest result in their European history. Noble was in tears. Declan Rice couldn’t wipe the smile from his face if he tried. Andriy Yarmolenko; Match-winner. Dream-maker. Doing all of Ukraine proud.
West Ham didn’t just beat Sevilla. They outplayed them, outfought them and, if Michail Antonio and co had brought their shooting boots to the party, would have outscored them by quite a considerable margin.
Can West Ham win the Europa League?
If West Ham can beat the Europa League specialists so convincingly, then why can’t they go all the way? Why can’t Noble parade through London in an open top bus, trophy in arms?
Lyon may seem like a daunting draw. But this is not the same Lyon side who came within a whisker of the Champions League final a decade ago.
Peter Bosz’s team are tenth in Ligue 1. They were decimated 4-2 at home by Rennes last time out. Star playmaker Bruno Guimaraes left for Newcastle in January. Houssem Aouar has stalled. And if West Ham’s defence is carved out of granite, then Lyon’s is made out of crumbling pumice.
Furthermore, their £20 million centre-forward – Moussa Dembele – has scored just six goals from open play across 24 games in all competitions. West Ham enquired about Dembele’s availability just 14 months ago, shortly before he embarked on an ill-fated loan spell at Atletico Madrid.
According to Goal, however, the former Celtic talisman was ‘not interested’ in swapping Lyon for London.
Now, West Ham’s Europa League quarter-final clash with Les Dogues may be viewed as an opportunity for Dembele to show the Hammers what they’re missing.
But perhaps it should be the other way round.
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