By Joe Ellis

19th Aug, 2022 | 8:40am

West Ham United duo wow Trevor Sinclair in vital 3-1 win v Viborg

West Ham United completed the first half of their job in the Europa Conference League playoff by beating Viborg 3-1 on home soil.

David Moyes was confounded to the stands as he served his suspension from last season’s Europa League semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt for kicking a ball forcefully towards a ball boy.

But he saw his side do what was needed to give themselves a handy lead going into the return leg next week as Gianluca Scamacca scored his first goal for the club with a textbook striker’s header.

Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio also got on the scoresheet but it was Said Benrahma and new signing Thilo Kehrer who stood out for Trevor Sinclair in front of a scarce London Stadium crowd.

“Superb play by Benrahma but excellent positive pass into him from Kehrer,” Sinclair said via his personal Twitter account as Antonio turned in the third West Ham goal of the night.

King Kehrer

Given how the 2022-23 season has started for Moyes and the Hammers, any central defender would have been considered a king at the London Stadium but Kehrer settled in tremendously.

The German looked as composed as anyone in marshalling the defence and you could tell he has played for Paris Saint-Germain for many years by the manner he conducted himself.

Angelo Ogbonna may have started the game alongside Ben Johnson but you would have to assume Kurt Zouma will return on Sunday against Brighton and Kehrer should be alongside him.

The Seagulls have enjoyed a good start to the season with a win away at Manchester United (maybe not the massive achievement it once was these days) and dominating against Newcastle without finding a goal.

Graham Potter’s side will prove to be a tough assignment and Moyes has to put his best players in their best positions when they come to the capital and that means Kehrer should make his first start.