West Ham 2 Rapid Vienna 0
It was more about game management than sparkling football. The result was more important than the performance as far as West Ham were concerned and they did well to hide their lack of European experience when Rapid Vienna woke up after the break, Declan Rice leading the way with a series of timely interceptions as David Moyes’s side protected a slender lead.
Rice was a calming presence in the second half, his command of midfield crucial, and he was also the matchwinner. His second goal in as many Europa League outings was enough to keep West Ham in first place in Group I, three points above Dinamo Zagreb. It was a good night for Moyes’s side, although there is likely to be a Uefa investigation into the crowd trouble that marred the first half, and they made the points safe when Saïd Benrahma scored in added time.
There was a buzz around the ground at the start, excitement building before West Ham’s first competitive home game in Europe since 2006, but it soon became clear that some members of the travelling contingent were more intent on causing trouble than supporting their team.
The mood was heated down in the corner where the away fans were housed, missiles flying through the air while most people inside the stadium were happily watching the pre-match lights show, and it boiled over when Rice broke the deadlock in the 29th minute, forcing police officers to step in and help the stewards restore order.
The behaviour was utterly pathetic. Some Rapid fans jumped over the advertising hoardings at the front of the lower tier of the Trevor Brooking Stand, intent on charging the home sections, and there was even the absurdity of someone in the away end chucking a water cooler at the West Ham fans; suffice to say, it was a wonderful exhibition of masculinity.
Uefa will take a dim view of the disorder – questions will surely be asked about how security managed to miss someone strolling in with a water cooler – and the disappointment was that the nonsense drew attention away from a wonderful West Ham goal. There was a lovely ball from Andriy Yarmolenko to open Rapid up, clever movement from Michail Antonio to pull away from his markers and Rice showing the desire to break the lines with a late run from midfield.
Antonio spotted Rice’s run after controlling with his chest and the striker unselfishly played the ball across for West Ham’s captain, who gleefully wheeled away after tapping into the unguarded net.
Rice had batted away questions about his future before the game, pointing out that his reluctance to sign a new long-term deal has not affected his performances, and the England international did not look like he is unhappy with life at West Ham as he celebrated with his teammates.
A strong spirit has developed under Moyes, who made seven changes to the team that beat Leeds last weekend, and there was a lot to like about West Ham’s performance in the first half. They went close to taking an early lead when Rice glanced a free-kick against the woodwork, the visitors escaping when Issa Diop scuffed the rebound wide, and another chance would go begging when Craig Dawson sent a free header against the post from another set-piece.
Joint-bottom of the Austrian Bundesliga, Rapid had offered nothing beyond a couple of hopeful efforts from Taxiarchis Fountas and Kelvin Arase. West Ham were comfortable, although they were not at their most coherent in attack.
Nikola Vlasic flattered to deceive before being replaced shortly after the hour and West Ham lacked intensity on the ball at times, their occasional sloppiness infuriating Moyes, who tore into Ben Johnson when the young right-back overplayed in a dangerous area.
It was clear that Moyes wanted more urgency when he brought Tomas Soucek, Manuel Lanzini and Jarrod Bowen on for Mark Noble, Vlasic and Antonio midway through the second half. Noble had looked off the pace and Antonio, who felt his groin at one stage, had tired up front.
West Ham conceded space, giving Diop and Dawson more to do in central defence, and they needed a VAR review to bail them out with just under 20 minutes left. Replays showed that the Rapid substitute Marco Grull dived after a challenge from Johnson and the referee, Tobias Stieler, reversed his decision to award a penalty.
Rapid’s fans responded by holding up an anti-VAR banner, but their team had nothing left to say. West Ham stirred, Bowen producing an astonishing miss, and the points were theirs when Benrhama curled home a fine finish. - Guaridan
