West Ham edged Fiorentina in the UEFA Conference League final in a tight affair at the Fortuna Arena, emerging as 2-1 winners.

A distinct lack of quality was apparent in the first half, epitomised by the brief delay caused by a small section of West Ham fans, who threw plastic cups at the head of Christian Biraghi, leaving the captain severely cut and prompting a warning over the PA system in Prague.

However, the game burst into life in the second half when VAR instructed the on-field referee to review a potential handball in the penalty area.

The vociferous Hammers appeals were rewarded after Biraghi appeared to accidentally punch the ball, which led to Said Benrahma perfectly firing the ball to the left of the Fiorentina goalkeeper in the 62nd minute.

I Viola bounced back just five minutes later, the impressive Giacomo Bonaventura striking a well-placed half-volley beyond the outstretched gloves of Alphonse Areola, as everyone anticipated another thirty minutes of action.

Jarrod Bowen put these thoughts to bed, as he raced onto Lucas Paqueta's incisive pass before placing the ball past Pietro Terracciano, via a slight deflection off of the goalkeeper's leg in the last minute of normal time.

UEFA Conference League glory is West Ham's first piece of major silverware since the FA Cup in 1980, which succeeded the Cup Winners' Cup in 1965 and means they will play Europa League football in the 2023/24 campaign.

Below are my player ratings for the match:

  • Fiorentina

Pietro Terracciano - 6/10

Made some comfortable routine stops, but could have done better for the decisive winner, failing to get a concrete connection with his trailing leg.

Dodo - 6.5/10

Effervescence and liveliness made him a valuable asset to the Fiorentina team and was enough to get the better of Benrahma for the majority of the match.

Nikola Milenkovic - 7/10

Technically sound and aerially dominant. To physically trump Michail Antonio is no mean feat and the Serb bossed the defence in the first half. Quality trailed as the final progressed, but unlucky to be on the losing side.

Luca Ranieri - 6/10

Being wedged in between the impressive Milenkovic and experienced Biraghi certainly benefited the 24-year-old. Got the sense that I Viola missed the presence of Martinez Quarta, however. Replaced by Igor in the 85th minute.

Cristiano Biraghi - 6/10

Solid in the first half but, like many of his teammates in a defensive sense, faded as the match went on. His wicked set-piece deliveries were not fruitful and a lack of awareness allowed Bowen to beat the offside trap. Perhaps the concussion from the plastic cup took a while to set in...

Sofyan Amrabat - 7/10

A hoover. The Moroccan cleaned up much of the mess in the middle of the park, topping the tackles chart with four. Almost added to the score tally with a long range effort but the West Ham 'keeper was equal to it.

Rolando Mandragora - 5.5/10

Was only offered the start due to an injury to Castrovilli in Serie A, whose creativity would have undoubtedly been an upgrade to the midfield. A tier below his midfield partners - he offered nothing.

Giacomo Bonaventura - 8/10

The best player on the pitch. Bonaventura was somewhat guilty of lacking the cutting edge in the final third but those hinderances were eradicated in the second; a fine finish across Areola which his performance deserved. Shame he's 33, some player.

Nico Gonzalez - 7/10

Has been frequently touted with a move to the Premier League and there were certainly glimpses which proved that throughout the final. Towering header assisted the goal and was determined when tracking back. Should have manufactured more chances, however.

Christian Kouame - 5/10

Not very involved in an attacking sense. The wide men's defensive commitments are evidently an integral part of Vincenzo Italiano's system, but the Ivorian's efforts were nowhere near as valuable as Gonzalez's, proven by the concession of three fouls.

Luka Jovic - 5/10

An opportunity to reignite an underwhelming career in a European final, but the Serb failed to rise to the occasion. The first-half was bereft of chances anyway, perhaps dropping deeper could have presented more opportunities. Thought he'd put his side in front before half-time, only for the flag to be raised. Largely anonymous.

Substitutes

Arthur Cabral - 6/10

Hold-up play was far superior to that of Jovic, but was still limited to few, if any, chances. 

Riccardo Saponara - 6/10

Energetic, but so he should be when entering the fray later on.

Igor - 4/10

Lack of pace when retreating for Bowen's chance, allowing the forward enough time to pick his spot.

Antonin Barak - N/A

  • West Ham

Alphonse Areola - 7/10

The Frenchman's performances in Europe throughout the recent campaigns will surely have been enough to usurp Fabianski (who is not getting any younger!) as the Hammers' number one. Very little he could have done with the goal - safe hands.

Vladimir Coufal - 6.5/10

A solid showing in his home country but, in truth, the quality of opposition down his right-hand side was very poor. Nevertheless the Czech international's fulfilled his task and has a winner's medal to show for it.

Kurt Zouma - 7.5/10

Hooked due to an injury but complemented Aguerd superbly, limiting Fiorentina to very few chances in the first hour. Far too clever and strong for any of the forwards and assured in possession.

Nayef Aguerd - 8/10

Fautless in the first half, making important and robust challenges. Perhaps the omission of Zouma unsettled the Moroccan international, who really should have closed the angle for Bonaventura's goal, but he recovered excellently. Phenomenal year for him, coupled with his importance in Morocco's World Cup success.

Emerson - 7/10

Showed endeavour and purpose when given license to maraud forward but notably lacks defensive nous. Between too easily in the air by Gonzalez leading to the goal, then again, the Argentine had a few inches on him. The Italian becomes the first player to win all three European competitions!

Tomas Soucek - 7/10

What a tumultuous season for the Czech international! Has not reached the heights of previous seasons but still a physically empowering presence for the Irons. Will put anything on the line to get his noggin on the ball, solid game.

Declan Rice - 7/10

The narrative of Rice going is getting really boring. The fact of the matter is their homegrown captain has led the Hammers to European glory. Was it his best performance? Absolutely not, perhaps he's set his standards too high! Grew into the game.

Lucas Paqueta - 7.5/10

It's becoming a recurring theme now, the Brazilian improved as the game approached its conclusion and topped it off with a thread-of-the-needle pass to set Bowen free. These moments of quality are exactly what he was brought to East London for, as the fans will hope to see more of this quality next season.

Jarrod Bowen - 7.5/10

Hardly involved but scored the decisive winner! It can be very easy to fluff your lines after being so deprived of the ball in the final third, but the 26-year-old executed to perfection. Just four completed passes is a stat even Erling Haaland would be proud of.

Said Benrahma - 6.5/10

An emphatically despatched penalty but failed to make a meaningful impact in open play, something which Moyes noticed after 75 minutes. The full-back won this battle.

Michail Antonio - 6.5/10

I'm a fan of Antonio, unlike many. His unique build and tireless work rate evidently ticks all of David Moyes' boxes, but his on-ball ability  and profligacy in front of goal significantly hinders him as a number 9. A tactical tweak to cater for Scamacca may prove worthy next campaign. Nevertheless, few can dispute the fact that the forward well and truly ran himself into the ground.

Substitutes

Thilo Kehrer - 6/10

Not as commanding as Zouma but still did enough to end up on the winning side. Could not have done anything to prevent the goal.

Pablo Fornals - N/A

Angelo Ogbonna - N/A

 

 

 

 

VAVEL Logo
About the author