Declan Rice and Kurt Zouma were the only positives as West Ham United slumped to a narrow defeat to Sevilla in the UEFA Europa League.
West Ham United succumbed to a narrow 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash against Sevilla in the UEFA Europa League. It was a disappointing result for David Moyes’s men, though they are far from being written off from a potential comeback in the return leg in London Stadium.
It was quite an even affair at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, especially in the first half as both sides tried to control the proceedings in the middle of the park. There was not much creativity at play, but things soon shifted in Sevilla’s favour as the game progressed.
The hosts started to ask more questions in the final third, using their creative prowess to make life difficult for the West Ham backline. They even came close to scoring on multiple occasions but lacked the end product. That was until the 60th minute when a moment of ingenuity from the Sevilla team led to Munir El Haddadi’s opener.
Sevilla could have scored at least once more but ended up squandering their chances. The same can be said for West Ham, who failed to find the equaliser despite piling on the pressure during the late stages of the game. Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the West Ham players in their narrow defeat to Sevilla in the UEFA Europa League this midweek.
Alphonse Areola: 6/10
Despite Sevilla attempting 18 shots on goal, Alphonse Areola was not really forced to make any extraordinary saves as a majority of the six shots on target were directed straight at him. He was caught off guard for the only goal he conceded, with his view being impaired by three West Ham players in front of him.
Ben Johnson: 7/10
Starting ahead of Ryan Fredericks, Ben Johnson had a decent game on the right hand side of the West Ham backline. He looked calm under pressure and did rather well to fend off the threat from Lucas Ocampos.
Ben Johnson gotta be our first choice RB now imo.
Proved himself tonight
— Jonesy ☆ #GSBOUT (@RockyWhu) March 10, 2022
Craig Dawson: 6.5/10
Craig Dawson put out a spirited defensive effort at the heart of the West Ham backline. However, he looked uncomfortable in possession, notably giving away a dangerous ball that might have led to Sevilla’s second goal of the night.
Kurt Zouma: 7.5/10
Kurt Zouma was always going to play a key role in this encounter due to his physical and aerial prowess. Fortunately for David Moyes, the former Chelsea defender was up to the task, producing an impressive shift at the heart of the back four. He also looked much more reliable in possession, unlike Dawson.
Aaron Cresswell: 6/10
Aaron Cresswell was not as solid as Johnson on the opposite flank, as the left-back had difficulties dealing with the threat of Jesus Corona and Jesus Navas. He did not provide much creativity going forward either, while his set-pieces were inaccurate.
Tomas Soucek: 7/10
Tomas Soucek put in a good shift in midfield, as usual. He was willing to work hard for his team and break up Sevilla’s play in the middle of the park. Unfortunately, the opposition played rather well and oriented their game through the flanks, which made it difficult for Moyes’s men to contain them.
Declan Rice: 7.5/10
Declan Rice proved his worth yet again with a mammoth display in the holding midfield role. His defensive contributions were vital in providing cover for the back four. The English international truly has a unique ability to read the game, which came to the fore against this dangerous Sevilla side.
We will give it absolutely everything at home! Still all to play for, gutted we didn’t come away with something. Our fans were special tonight, thank you for the support! @WestHam ❤️⚒️
— Declan Rice (@_DeclanRice) March 10, 2022
Manuel Lanzini: 6/10
It was not the best of performances from Manuel Lanzini. The Argentine was not able to offer much creativity in the final third and was defended rather well by Sevilla. His lack of influence impacted West Ham’s overall attacking play as they mustered a total of just three shots on target.
Nikola Vlasic: 5/10
Nikola Vlasic had the biggest chance to score for West Ham when he failed to direct his header from the six-yard box. The Croat looked wasteful throughout the evening, struggling to provide any spark or creativity in the final third. He was hooked off midway through the second half, with Moyes opting for more dynamism in the attack.
Vlasic lanzini and fornals have all been shocking man
— Harley (@Perkins_SZN) March 10, 2022
Michail Antonio: 6/10
Michail Antonio proved to be a nuisance due to his physical presence that startled the Sevilla centre-backs at times. The Jamaican international looked like a real threat on certain occasions but was unfortunate not to find any goalscoring opportunities.
Pablo Fornals: 5/10
Upon his return to Spain, Pablo Fornals struggled to make an impact in the final third. Operating out wide, the former Villarreal start was unable to offer the creativity and hooked off during the final phase of the proceedings.
SUBSTITUTES
Said Benrahma: 6/10
Said Benrahma was brought in to add more energy and dynamism into the final third. He tried to probe the Sevilla backline on certain occasions but to no avail.
Mark Noble: N/A
A late replacement for Lanzini. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Arthur Masuaku: N/A
A late replacement for Fornals. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
