There will be little rest for West Ham United after Thursday evening’s European-record victory over SC Freiburg, as a Premier League fixture against Aston Villa awaits on Sunday afternoon.
The quarter-final talk will have to be parked for now because, as the Hammers have become accustomed to under David Moyes, the schedule is a busy one ahead of the March international break. After all, West Ham will compete in both domestic and European competitions heading into April for the third straight season. Not bad, eh!
Sunday’s visitors are enjoying domestic and European success of their own, having booked a place in the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-finals to move a step closer to following West Ham in lifting the trophy, while they also sit fourth in the Premier League, 12 points ahead of the Hammers in seventh, at the time of writing.
In his pre-match media duties, Moyes praised the quality of Unai Emery’s men, and the work of the former Arsenal and Sevilla manager, who has made his mark in the East Midlands over the past 18 months.
Moyes also offered an update on Emerson and Maxwel Cornet ahead of Sunday’s fixture, picked out Mohammed Kudus’ performance against Freiburg, and reflected on George Earthy’s senior debut and future opportunities for Academy players in the Premier League.
Team news
Maxwel Cornet certainly won’t be [available for Aston Villa], he’s only just back and not on the grass yet.
With Emerson, it will be a late call to see how he is. He has not got a serious injury, but he has a bit of a groin strain, so we will need to see how he is [ahead of Sunday’s fixture].
Mo's magic lights up London Stadium!
It was a brilliant goal and a great performance from Mo Kudus against Freiburg, which has been coming. I said at the time that it was a bit of an old-fashioned winger's run, where you are trying to beat people as they come up to you.
People of a different generation will remember when wingers used to be like that and it was a bit Ryan Giggs-like in some ways, in the way that Giggs would run and take people on.
[Mo Kudus] is fasting as well [for Ramadan]. I think it is really important because they [Nayef Aguerd, Kurt Zouma, Kudus] have got a focus, and they are really concentrated and they understand that it is quite a difficult time when you are not eating during the day. But I think sometimes it gives the players with that faith a bit of extra focus, so good on them.
I really enjoy working with Kudus
Mo is a great boy to work with. He is a quiet boy, but we like him a lot. I think he has actually blossomed and is coming on so much. We can play him in so many different positions and that has given us a bit of flexibility.
I think he has his own preference on the way he would like to play, and on Thursday he scored his goals off the left, but he has mainly scored them off the right, and we know he can play as a No10 and as a nine.
The flexibility he has gives us huge opportunities, but we have been really impressed by his attitude and the way he has taken to the Premier League.
Aston Villa’s form
They are a very good side. The manager [Unai Emery] is doing a brilliant job. He has got them in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League, which is a great achievement as well.
They are knocking on the door of Champions League football as well, so they have done a great job, and it will be a really tough game against Aston Villa.
Giving Academy players opportunities
One of the really important things about being in a European competition is that we have been able to give some of the young boys an opportunity. It is a bit easier to do that than it is in the Premier League.
I take great pride in the players I’ve given their debuts to. Every time you give a young boy an opportunity it is a huge, huge thrill, but the Premier League has become so tough [because of the] level of the competition.
We have got [English] teams in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, so to get young players into the level of football [the Premier League is played at] where you think you can trust them and they can meet the standards required is not easy, it’s really tough.
I was thrilled for George Earthy [to make his senior debut against Freiburg]. George has been doing well. He is a really talented footballer, has a great attitude, and if he keeps working I am sure there will be a good future ahead for him.
Three straight European quarter-finals
The most important thing is that we are in and around fantastic teams, who have a great history in Europe.
When we first got [to the quarter-final stage] three years ago, we were saying we would enjoy this journey in Europe, and we certainly have. We have probably done better than that.
We have done more than make it a journey because we have made it something where we are really challenging, and I don't think teams will want to play us because our record in Europe has been pretty good.
Three quarter-finals in three years, but really it has been a semi-final, a final and a quarter-final in three years.
