West Ham United remain unbeaten in the Europa Conference League this season, after beating Danish side Silkeborg IF.
David Moyes put out a strong team, with the most notable selection for the Hammers being summer signing Nayef Aguerd. The Moroccan defender made his first competitive appearance for West Ham, following the recovery of his ankle injury that has had him out since August.
A Manuel Lanzini penalty put the Hammers ahead after Michail Antonio was fouled by the Silkeborg goalkeeper.
West Ham dominated the game overall, but became complacent in the second half, allowing their opponents to create chances. Scoring goals and capitalising on their opportunities remains a problem for Moyes' team.
Story of the Match
As predicted, West Ham had most of the chances throughout the game, with 15 shots to Silkeborg's three. Five of West Ham's shots were on target however, yet the only goal of the game was scored through a penalty. An all too familiar story for the Hammers, who are struggling to convert their many shots into goals.
David Moyes left out arguably his team's best players, benching Declan Rice, Gianluca Scamacca, and Thilo Kehrer,. Republic of Ireland international Conor Coventry manned the middle of the park; a rare opportunity for the young midfielder.
Silkeborg have been hit with considerable injury problems over the last few weeks, causing a slight weakness in Kent Nielsen's team. The Danish side came to the London Stadium following a 3-2 league defeat to Horsens.
West Ham dominated throughout the first half, with plenty of possession, passes, and opportunities. Silkeborg appeared to sit back, and let their opponents attack - aiming to defend strongly. The visitors held the Hammers until the 24th minute when a clumsy tackle from Silkeborg's goalkeeper brought down Antonio for a penalty. Since the departure of Mark Noble, penalties have been a slight challenge for the East London side. Lanzini, however, calmly slotted the ball into the net and put the Hammers in front.
West Ham maintained a high press toward the end of the first half, mounting the pressure on the Danish backline. A wildly misplaced ball from a Silkeborg defender put Pablo Fornals within shooting distance, but the Spaniard dragged the shot wide.
Said Benrahma was a thorn in the side of the visitors tonight, his technical ability tough to defend. On multiple occasions he managed to beat his man, but the final ball/shot just lacked that piece of quality.
Second Half
Although a low-pressure game for West Ham, a win was vital in order to win the group, and reduce the number of games they have to play. However, as the game progressed, the Hammers became complacent and allowed the visitors to test Alphonse Areola. The World Cup-winning goalkeeper produced a fantastic save to keep his team ahead.
Substitutions for the home side came at around the 70-minute mark, where Flynn Downes, Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek, Thilo Kehrer, and Gianluca Scamacca were introduced to the game.
The changes made an almost immediate impact, with Scamacca, Rice, and Downes all attempting to get the ball into the box. But, despite the injected burst of energy, West Ham ran out of time to further their lead.
The Hammers have now sealed their place in the last 16 of the Europa Conference League, with one game to spare.
Player of the Match
Not a massively outstanding individual performance for any player tonight, but Manuel Lanzini's confidence sky-rocketed after his goal. He is not the first name on the team sheet at the moment, but has produced a handful of decent performances in the European games. Ultimately, the Argentine's goal made the difference tonight, and is the reason the Hammers can relax in their final group game against FCSB.