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| West Ham's Remarkable Europa League Debut Continues with Record Victory over Freiburg |
Lucas Paqueta soared above the rest to kickstart West Ham's journey to victory with a precisely timed header, capitalizing on a pinpoint cross from Jarrod Bowen.
Despite their dominance in the first half, West Ham faced a moment of turmoil when Roland Sallai unleashed a close-range equalizer shortly after the halftime whistle.
Nevertheless, Nayef Aguerd rose above the opposition, nodding in a James Ward-Prowse corner to seal the deal and secure the win.
In an impressive feat, the London club etched their name into history by becoming the first English side to go unbeaten for 17 consecutive games in European competition. This surpassed the records of iconic teams like Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, Don Revie's Leeds in the 1960s, and Bill Nicholson's 1970s Tottenham side, all of which managed 16 games unbeaten.
During the first half, West Ham showcased their prowess on the counter-attack, with Bowen and Mohammed Kudus continuously putting pressure on Freiburg's defense. The Freiburg team struggled to get a foothold, managing just one tame shot on target before halftime, easily caught by Lukasz Fabianski.
Despite the visitors' slender lead, Freiburg remained in contention thanks to West Ham's carelessness. Sallai's equalizer shifted the momentum, and Lucas Holer squandered a golden opportunity, blasting the ball over the bar from six yards out.
West Ham breathed a sigh of relief when Noah Atubolu's lapse in positioning allowed Aguerd to meet Ward-Prowse's corner, restoring their lead against the run of play.
With a victory over Backa Topola in their first Europa League game, West Ham now tops Group A with six points, while Freiburg trails behind in second place, three points adrift.
Reflecting on the match, James Ward-Prowse admitted, "It wasn't one of our best performances, and it was a tough game for us tonight." He emphasized the importance of the six points from two games, praising the team's solid start.
Ward-Prowse also acknowledged Freiburg's second-half improvement and the unexpected source of their winning goal: "They switched a few things around at half-time, played with a clear number 10 then, which caused us to have to adjust our midfield several times. We weren't briefed on them having problems in the air, quite the contrary, we expected them to be strong in set-pieces, so it was especially nice to score from a corner."
While West Ham displayed remarkable attacking prowess in the first half, they missed several opportunities to extend their lead. Keeper Atubolu's mistake against the post and Paqueta's disallowed goal due to offside added to their frustration.
Despite missing striker Michail Antonio due to injury, Mohammed Kudus, who had a standout performance against Backa Topola, injected pace and creativity into West Ham's attacks. However, apart from Paqueta's goal, they struggled to find the finishing touch.
In one of their better opportunities, Ward-Prowse could only muster a weak shot when through on goal right before halftime.
Although a lack of clinical finishing threatened to haunt them, West Ham adapted to Freiburg's improvements and regained control. They displayed better organization after Aguerd's goal, maintaining possession to stave off any potential Freiburg comeback.
Looking ahead, David Moyes' side is set to face eighth-placed Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday.
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