In the early morning of April 15, Beijing time, the second leg of the Europa League Quarterfinals was in full swing, and one of the focus battles was fought between Lyon and West Ham. As a result, after 90 minutes of the battle, West Ham, who played away, defeated the opponent 3-0 and advanced to the promotion with an aggregate score of 4-1.
Lyon is a traditional team in Ligue 1, and West Ham's performance under Moyes in the past 2 seasons has also been improving, with the total value of the two teams combined to 680 million, which is enough in the Europa League schedule. In the first leg of the match, the two teams drew 1-1, and the two sides were evenly divided to leave suspense for the second leg.
In the first half of the game, Lyon, who played at home, actually had more advantages, but they were slow to score. It was West Ham, on the other hand, who seized the opportunity before half-time. In the 38th minute, Craig Dawson scored with a header from a corner to bring the aggregate score up to 2-1. Five minutes later, West Ham captain Rice scored and suddenly extended his advantage to two goals.
In the second half, West Ham United took advantage of the chase, and Fornals assisted Bowen's goal, at which point the away team was already 3 goals ahead. Ligue 1 powerhouse Lyon collapsed at home and they failed to score in this game despite continuous pressure from behind. In the end, West Ham United won 3-0 and reached the top four of European competitions for the first time since 1976, setting a new 46-year record.
In the past two seasons, West Ham have performed better and better under Moyes, which has also somehow slapped the top brass of Manchester United. As former United manager, Moyes has not been with the Red Devils for long, and this is likely the key to his failure to succeed. Now leading a mediocre Premier League team, Moyes is moving forward step by step towards the championship.
In this season's European competitions, West Ham led by Moyes can be described as an absolute defensive iron army. After the early hours of the morning, West Ham conceded just five goals in 10 Europa League games this season, six of which were clean sheets. Such a strong defense is the biggest weight for them to attack the championship. After the top favourite Barca are out, Moyes's Barca also have a greater chance of impacting the final trophy, and in the round of 4 they will face Eintracht Frankfurt, who eliminated La Liga giants.
Although the bench strength is limited, this season West Ham has tried not to be left behind in the Premier League standings while taking care of European games. In the league, West Ham are currently 6th, with Moyes overpowering former club Manchester United. Although it is a bit difficult to compete for a place in the top 4, as long as Moyes can win this season's Europa League trophy, they can also participate in next season's Champions League.