Carlton Cole reacts to West Ham win v Sevilla
West Ham reached their first European quarter-final since 1981 after beating Sevilla 2-1 in aggregate on Thursday night (17 March) at the London Stadium.
Andriy Yarmolenko scored a dramatic extra-time winner as the Hammers overturned the deficit to move into the next round of the competition.
Carlton Cole, while analysing the game for BT Sport, said he was “lost for words” after the victory.
The former Hammers striker said on BT Sport after the game, as relayed by Daily Mail: “I’m still lost for words, I was almost crying. I didn’t even cry for my two sons’ birth.
“I was almost in tears, honestly. This is massive, I can’t believe it. Yarmolenko, what a man, what a story. What a player.”
Amazing night
What a story!
Yarmolenko was on compassionate leave after what he has gone through with Ukraine currently being invaded by Russia.
With his relatives and friends back home in war-torn Ukraine, it wasn’t easy for Yarmolenko to focus on football. He scored against Aston Villa in the previous Premier League game and got another important goal on Thursday night.
After Pablo Fornals’ low shot had been parried away by Bono, Yarmolenko netted home to secure a 2-0 victory and secured a passage to the next round of the competition.
West Ham were trailing by a goal from the first leg. Tomas Soucek scored the first goal when he guided Michail Antonio’s cross into the net with a fine header.
Alphonse Areola made a brilliant save to deny Youssef En-Nesyri, as Sevilla, who won this tournament four times out of the last eight seasons, were left red-faced.
The Hammers will have the confidence to go further in this competition.
In other West Ham news, Steve McManaman was stunned by Alphonse Areola for West Ham v Sevilla.
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