Speaking to the Official Matchday programme, Kurt Zouma discusses why a particularly special night at London Stadium against Liverpool will always be his stand-out Hammers performance…
When asked for his best performance in a West Ham United shirt, one game immediately sprung to mind for Kurt Zouma. No hesitation. The defender knew his answer.
“That game against Liverpool, at London Stadium, the season I arrived, was incredible,” the Frenchman recalled. “I scored in that game but, not just getting the goal, I think I played an excellent game.
“Actually, I think everyone in our team was ten out of ten in that match. That was definitely my best performance for West Ham so far.”
That special night under the lights came just three months after Zouma had made the switch across London, joining the Hammers from Chelsea. It was a move that was proving fruitful. The centre-back immediately established himself as a regular in the team and the Irons were flying high. The UEFA Europa League group stages were progressing nicely, while a trio of consecutive league win over Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa had the Hammers looking up at the Premier League elite.
As October ticked into November, and Liverpool travelled to east London, Zouma and West Ham were feeling almost invincible.
“Joining that summer, with everything going as well as it was, I was thinking everything at West Ham is very nice and pretty sweet!” he laughed. “Everything at the time was going our way and, when that happens, it puts a spring in your step and you can feel it in the squad. We were in a really, really good place.
“The season is full of ups and downs, of course, but what I really liked about West Ham is I joined a family. Everyone was pulling in the same direction and had that togetherness, which is very important. It was a great bunch of lads when I joined, and it still is too! We’re always having fun together and, no matter if we win or lose, we’re together.”
TRADING BLOWS
There was something special in the air that night in east London.
Jürgen Klopp’s Reds came into the Sunday evening fixture two points and a place ahead of the Hammers, themselves in a rich vein of form.
Not that the Claret and Blue Army were worried, however. A raucous atmosphere was building in the London Stadium bowl, one built on a six-game unbeaten run across a demanding 22-day period.
There was almost an expectation that David Moyes’ Hammers could do something special; a belief that only intensified when the home side grabbed the early lead.
Angelo Ogbonna attacked a Pablo Fornals corner. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker flapped, a weak fist connecting with the ball, helping it to nestle nicely into the far corner. Advantage Irons.
“The atmosphere was already crazy,” Zouma continued. “When you score early in the game, it only adds to it, and it keeps the momentum building. I think we kept that momentum throughout the whole game.
“In that period of time, when we played at home, we just knew we were going to get three points. It wasn’t always clear how, but we were winning the game. If a team was going to come to London Stadium and take something from us, they were going to have to really fight for it. We made life so, so hard for so many teams. That year we also beat Chelsea at home, we beat Tottenham at home and we obviously also beat Liverpool. It showed the level we were operating on.”
There was to be a twist in the story, however. Three points would not come easy for the Irons.
First, on 22 minutes, the impervious Ogbonna was injured. Unable to carry on, the experienced Italian was replaced by Craig Dawson. Little did anyone know at the time that the centre-back would miss the remainder of the season; unavailable due to damage to his ACL.
Then, just before half-time, Liverpool struck. Mohamed Salah shifted a free-kick and Trent Alexander-Arnold sublimely netted from 25 yards.
Still, the home crowd roared. And still, Zouma and his teammates believed.
He explained. “Angelo had gone down injured. We didn’t know to what extent but what we all knew was that if Angelo was staying down and coming off, something was really wrong. This guy is a soldier, and he never wants to leave his teammates behind.
“Craig Dawson came on for him and he was perfect for the rest of the game. Nothing was going to stop us that night. Angelo having to go off just added to that desire to win, because we wanted to do it for him as well.
“Even when they scored, and made it 1-1, we still had it in our hands. Trent scored that free-kick and we’re level at half-time, but we knew. We just knew. Then we got the second, and the third, and we kept taking the game to them. It felt amazing.
“Liverpool were flying at the time. They were absolutely unreal but, for us, everything was just perfect. The atmosphere was perfect, how it went was storybook, and we really deserved that win.”
SECOND-HALF SCENES
Both teams will have felt confident heading into the second half, and it showed in the opening exchanges. Dawson hit the crossbar from a corner while the Reds went close through Sadio Mané, with the forward denied by Łukasz Fabiański.
On 67 minutes, West Ham’s persistence proved fruitful. The endeavouring Jarrod Bowen found Pablo Fornals and, while the Spaniard’s effort was not the cleanest, it squirmed under Alisson and into the net.
“Pablo got through for our second goal and, as I say, we knew it was going to happen,” Zouma said. “If we stay in shape and play our roles, then you’re always going to get one or two more chances to score. We had been defending and fighting and running and then, when Pablo scored, it felt like all that work had paid off for us.
“We’d been preparing and building for a Liverpool mistake and, when the moment came, we were ready. I remember Jarrod got through and passed it to Pablo, and the place went mad when he scored.”
If things had got passionate upon Fornals’ fine finish, London Stadium erupted into near delirium when Zouma added a third a few minutes later.
What a time it was for the Frenchman to score his first West Ham goal. Rising highest at the far post, he was unchallenged and steered the ball into goal.
It was a moment to truly savour for the defender.
“It meant a lot to me. Joining this Club, I came here with big dreams and big objectives and I wanted to show that on the pitch as well. It’s what I was here for, to help the team and provide in those moments.
“Helping the team by scoring the third goal in that game, in front of those fans, it was so special to me. The fans were singing my name, shouting ‘Zou’ and it was making me so happy. And then, with that, you want to give even more for them.”
Divock Origi would strike on 87 minutes, ensuring a nervy finish to proceedings in east London. But Moyes’ men dug deep, held firm, and saw out a famous win; one that move the Irons up to third in the Premier League table.
FINAL REFLECTIONS
Even now, amid all the success Zouma has achieved in Claret and Blue during his two years as a Hammer, that night against the Reds still lives long as his most treasured memory.
From the manger’s last-minute words ahead of kick-off, to the feeling of euphoria right at the end, it will live in his mind as his best performance as a West Ham player.
“One thing I do remember is the manager telling us to make sure we had fun out on the pitch. He said to us: ‘Guys, this is our home. We’re against a strong side but we’re at home and we have to show them what we’re about and make it hard for them.’
“We’ve won the UEFA Europa Conference League but that night against Liverpool is still my favourite game since I came to West Ham. On that day, everything we did was spot on. Offensively, defensively and tactically, we got it perfect. Hopefully we can many, many more days like that in the future.
“The way we played and the way we won, with the atmosphere, it had everything a truly special night needs to become unforgettable.”
