Sam Stone

Wed 7 June 2023 22:01, UK

West Ham United ended their wait for a major trophy with a memorable 2-1 win over Fiorentina at the Fortuna Arena in Prague.

Luka Jovic thought he’d put the Serie A side ahead on the stroke of halftime, but his point-blank header was ruled out for offside.

Said Benrahma put the Hammers ahead with a superbly struck penalty in the 62nd minute, however, Giacomo Bonaventura equalised just five minutes later for the Serie A side.

Jarrod Bowen’s 90th-minute strike sealed a memorable wait for a trophy, and here West Ham Zone rates the players for their performances in Prague.

Alphonse Areola – 5

Was commanding from crosses and looked assured. Produced some quality passes out to the Hammers’ fullbacks. Could have done better with Fiorentina’s equaliser.

Vladimir Coufal – 6

Looked relatively comfortable in a defensive sense and was part of a solid back four. However, didn’t get forward as much as he would have liked. When he did enter the final third, he produced a couple of decent crosses.

Kurt Zouma – 5

Considering West Ham were penned in their own box for large parts, Zouma was a dominant force and kept Jovic at bay for the most part. Was aerially dominant throughout. Was forced off in the 60th minute.

Nayef Aguerd – 5

Much like Zouma, the 27-year-old was comfortable defending his box. Will be disappointed with some of his playing out from the back. West Ham needed to keep possession that started with some poor passing out from the back.

Emerson Palmieri – 8

Hugely impressive from the Italian. Won most of his duels and stood up well defensively. Also looked to use his athleticism and get forward whenever he could. Standout performer.

Tomas Soucek – 5

Struggled alongside Declan Rice. The Hammers needed a platform in the game and that had to come from midfield. He gave Sofyan Amrabat far too much time in the centre of the park.

Declan Rice – 6

Wasn’t at his most influential but did well to martial Fiorentina’s excellent midfield technicians. Needed to show more quality in the final third. He produced some wayward shots and crosses.

Lucas Paqueta – 7

Grew into the game. Once again, the Brazilian is clearly better suited to a side that likes to dominate the ball. He tried his best to make things happen going forward, but it felt like a one-man band at times. Was a bright spark during the second half.

Jarrod Bowen – 7

A superb piece of thinking in the lead-up to the penalty. He came to life in the second half and was the Hammers’ main threat. His pressing throughout was impeccable. Was desperate to bring the trophy home. Produced the magic moment that will immortalise him in West Ham history.

Michail Antonio – 4

Frustrating performance from Antonio. His hold-up play wasn’t quite up to scratch and was far too inconsistent, particularly in the first half. It improved in the second period but this wasn’t the performance West Ham needed from their big striker.

Said Benrahma – 5

Was booked for a needless dive in the first half when he could have easily carried on. However, he delivered when it mattered for the Hammers. His nerveless penalty set the Hammers on their way. A big moment from the Algerian. Apart from the spot kick, it was a quiet performance from the winger.

Substitutes

Thilo Kehrer (on for Zouma, 61′) – 6

Pablo Fornals (on for Benrahma, 75′) – 5

Angelo Ogbonna (on for Antonio, 90+’) – N/A