Former West Ham United star Joe Cole has drawn a reasonably attention-grabbing comparability between one participant and Arsenal star Declan Rice, regardless of James Ward-Prowse taking all the plaudits.
West Ham 3-1 Backa Topola
David Moyes and the Hammers opened their Europa League account with a stable 3-1 win over Serbian tremendous league facet Backa Topola on Thursday night. After a reasonably tepid first half, the place Topola actually pissed off West Ham, the hosts got an early scare upon the second half restart when a defensive catastrophe handed the away facet a shock lead.
Angelo Ogbonna was caught on the ball to show his rustiness in Claret and Blue, however fortunately for Moyes, Nemanja Petrovic’s own-goal started to spare their blushes with an equaliser on the 66 minute mark. It took only a few minutes for summer season signing Mohammed Kudus to present West Ham the lead afterwards, because the Ghana star headed house from a nook.
One other new arrival, James Ward-Prowse, equipped the supply for Kudus earlier than doing the identical for Tomas Soucek – who headed house from one other nook with eight minutes of regular time left to play. Moyes, talking after the sport, admitted his facet may’ve improved in a whole lot of issues however in the end did not concern the worst at any level.
“Tonight I assumed we did sufficient to win though I did not suppose we have been nice in a whole lot of issues we did,” mentioned West Ham’s supervisor after the match. “The aim was in all probability our personal doing however I did not concern the worst. It was a sport the place we had the lot of the ball and gave us an opportunity to see if we may do what groups have carried out to us these days.
“The error modified the sport – nevertheless it additionally made us extra decided. Kudus I assumed began actually brightly and got here up with an essential aim after I could not actually see the place we’d get one from.”
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One star participant who missed the encounter, although, was Mexico worldwide midfielder Edson Alvarez. The 25-year-old was pressured to take a seat out by suspension after selecting up a purple card within the competitors earlier this 12 months, throughout his Ajax days in opposition to Union Berlin.
Talking forward of the encounter, former Hammer’s midfielder Cole, now working as a pundit on TNT Sports activities, drew an attention-grabbing comparability with ex-superstar Rice. Cole mentioned that whereas Alvarez will not straight substitute the Arsenal star, he advised that the Mexican can emulate what Rice did throughout his West Ham days.
“Alvarez is a giant miss for them,” Cole advised TNT Sports activities forward of West Ham’s group-stage opener on the London Stadium. “[James] Ward-Prowse has taken the plaudits due to his potential and what he’s carried out, he’s been good, excellent.
“However don’t underestimate Alvarez. He is completely excellent… not a substitute for Declan as a result of that may be a tall order. However he can do what Declan did for the membership.”
Whereas Ward-Prowse has arguably been West Ham’s signing of the summer season so far, Alvarez actually does not fall far behind. Certainly, the previous Eredivisie star has been lavished with reward by sections of the media for his begin to life in east London, and his tenacious model can be successful over components of the fanbase.