Gent vs West Ham: Conference League – LIVE!
Rice backs West Ham tactics change as summer signings left out
Declan Rice says West Ham’s dressing room was left “numb” by last week’s chastening defeat to Newcastle, but believes a return to their counter-attacking ways of old could be the key to the Hammers’ survival chances.
The Hammers were humiliated 5-1 by the Champions League-chasing Magpies at the London Stadium on Wednesday night, but bounced back with a vital 1-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage this weekend.
Following on from last Sunday’s win against Southampton by the same scoreline, David Moyes’ side have taken six points from three games in the space of seven days and climbed to 13th in the Premier League table to at least temporarily ease relegation fears heading into this week’s Europa Conference League quarter-final against Gent.
Rice hailed his team-mates’ response to the Newcastle defeat, which came after Moyes made five changes to his lineup, including recalling experienced defenders Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell and Vladimir Coufal, and switched to a 4-4-2 formation.
Read Rice’s full comments here!
FA Youth Cup Final: Date confirmed for Arsenal vs West Ham showdown
Arsenal will face West Ham in the FA Youth Cup final at Emirates Stadium on April 25.
The two sides booked their place in the final earlier this month, but a date for the fixture had not been confirmed.
The FA had stated the match must be played before April 29 and it has now been scheduled to be played on Tuesday, April 25 at 7pm.
Arsenal are bidding to win the FA Youth Cup for the first time since 2009, when current Under-18 manager Jack Wilshere was in the team.
“It’s relief, joy, love for the players, emotions – everything,” Wilshere said after the young Gunners beat Manchester City in the semi-finals.
“For me, right now, it feels like one of the top moments of my career as a coach, obviously as a coach as I am young coach, but as a player as well it feels like it’s up there.”
They have enjoyed a dramatic run to this year’s final, scoring last-minute winners in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
West Ham have defeated Sheffield United, Burnley, Stoke City and Ipswich Town away from home, before a convincing 6-1 win over Southampton in the semi-finals.
Gent’s danger man
Gift Orban has bagged five goals in four Europa Conference League games this season, including the fastest-ever hat-trick in Europe.
Confirmed Gent lineup
Gent XI: Roef; Castro-Montes, Piqtowski, Okumu, Torunarigha; Hong, Kums, De Sart, Fofana; Cuypers; Orban
Subs: Nardi, Ofoe, Hauge, Lagae, Samoise, Fortuna, Depoitre, Godeau, Tissoudali
Confirmed West Ham lineup
Areola; Coufal, Aguerd, Ogbonna, Johnson; Emerson; Rice, Downes; Lanzini, Bowen; Ings
Subs: Fabianski, Anang, Cresswell, Zouma, Fornals, Antonio, Paqueta, Cornet, Benrahma, Kehrer, Soucek, Mubama
Who could West Ham play in the semi-finals?
While they have to get through Gent over two legs, David Moyes will feel confident of making May’s final.
Should they beat their Belgian opposition, either Anderlecht – a team they made light work in the group stages – or AZ Alkmaar await.
Latest odds
Betway: Gent vs West Ham match odds
Gent 11/5
Draw 11/5
West Ham 6/5
Betway: Conference League winner 2022/23
West Ham 9/4
AZ Alkmaar 7/2
Fiorentina 7/2
Nice 4/1
RSC Anderlecht 14/1
Gent 16/1
FC Basel 20/1
Lech Poznan 25/1
Head to head (h2h) history and results
These two teams have not met for 59 years.
Gent wins: 0
Draws: 1
West Ham wins: 1
David Moyes urges West Ham to learn from Eintracht Frankfurt implosion in Gent quarter-final clash
David Moyes has urged his West Ham side to learn the lessons of last season’s Europa League semi-final implosion, but warned: “I don’t want vanilla players”.
The Hammers are looking to reach a second successive European semi-final as they take on Belgian side Gent in Thursday’s Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg.
Last year’s superb run came to an anti-climatic end against Eintracht Frankfurt in the semi-final, with Moyes’s side conceding inside the first 60 seconds of a 2-1 defeat at home and then seeing any hopes of a turnaround evaporate with Aaron Cresswell’s red card early in the second leg.
The Irons’ meltdown was compounded when Moyes was himself sent off late on for kicking a ball towards a ballboy, while Declan Rice was subsequently banned for accusing a match official of corruption in the tunnel.
Speaking at Gent’s Ghelamco Arena, Moyes suggested his players would be better prepared to keep their cool this time around, but insisted that must not come at the expense of any intensity.
Read Moyes’ comments in full here!
Moyes responds to banner calling for his sacking as West Ham get crucial win
David Moyes says West Ham have no choice but to “grind the results out” as fans again voiced their disapproval of the Scot’s management, despite Saturday’s vital win over Fulham.
Moyes went into the game under huge pressure after Wednesday night’s 5-1 thumping at home to Newcastle but saw his side deliver a much needed three points with a spirited defensive display.
The Hammers climbed to 13th in the table with only their second Premier League win of the season, a 1-0 victory at Craven Cottage coming courtesy of Harrison Reed’s first-half own-goal.
Despite the scoreline, Moyes’s decision to withdraw striker Danny Ings on the hour-mark was met with chants of “You don’t know what you’re doing” from the away end, while at full-time a ‘Moyes Out’ banner was held aloft in the crowd amid the celebrations of a crucial victory.
Read the full story here!
