DEADLY DECLAN
Midfielder strikes in Europe yet again as Hammers keep up solid run on night of Vienna fan fury
PRETTY easy, this European lark. At least that’s the way West Ham are making it seem, and Declan Rice too. It’s two wins from two for the club, and two goals in two for their midfielder.
Anyone who dismisses Rice’s opening goal as a tap-in is overlooking the run he made, from deep midfield and into the box, to get on the end of Michail Antonio’s assist.
It was the type which saw Frank Lampard rack up numbers for club and country. The ‘ultras’ from Vienna tried to ruin the fun, with some storming towards the home end after Rice’s opener and throwing whatever they could find. Ultimately they weren’t successful in spoiling West Ham’s party.
Word among the Austrian journalists at the London Stadium last night was this would, most likely, end in embarrassment for the team they were here to cover.
Nine games into the start of the Austrian Bundesliga season, Vienna are jointbottom after losses to clubs who won’t register much recognition in England, like Admira Wacker Modling and Rheindorf Altach.
They’d be content to lose by only four goals, claimed one reporter before kick-off.
Because of a relegation six-pointer this Sunday against Swarovski Tirol — the other team bottom of the Austrian table — Vienna even dropped their best player, Marco Grull, to the bench.
Still, their supporters were here in their numbers, loud and proud and topless and tipsy. Some of them seemingly more interested in winding up the home fans than the match itself, mind.
West Ham were inches from opening the scoring inside seven minutes when Aaron Cresswell whipped in a free-kick which Rice headed on to the far post. It bounced back and Issa Diop directed his rebound wide.
Vienna looked particularly vulnerable from set-pieces with a Cresswell corner flying through the six-yard box. All it required was a properly-timed run and it would have been 1-0.
Then came another corner from Cresswell and again the woodwork denied West Ham. Craig Dawson wouldn’t be stopped as he charged towards the cross but his header crashed back off the post. Cresswell began to wonder what he had to do to bag that assist bonus.
Yet West Ham would take the lead before the half-hour mark. It started with Antonio chesting down the ball brilliantly after a pass by Andriy Yarmolenko. He then squared it to Rice for his second goal in as many games in Europe.
The 22-year-old England international ran to the corner for a knee slide, in front of the away end. He didn’t do it to antagonise. He was looking towards the home end the entire time. But some Vienna supporters took this as an opportunity to spill out of their pen and charge towards the home contingent, hungry for violence.
One even picked up a photographer’s steel chair and tried to use it as a weapon. Thankfully, he was tackled by quick-thinking stewards before any damage was done.
At half-time, Sir Geoff Hurst spoke to the crowd. A statue of West Ham’s favourite sons who won the 1965 European Cup Winners’ Cup had been erected outside of the London Stadium. West Ham’s players would not have to venture far, therefore, to see what being victorious in Europe can do for you.
There was almost a plot twist in the 70th minute when Ben Johnson challenged Grull for the ball. Referee Tobias Stieler pointed to the penalty spot but several angles made it seem as if the Vienna attacker had tripped himself up.
Stieler visited his pitchside monitor and reversed his original decision. No spot-kick. Still 1-0.
It got better. Said Benrahma cut inside on to his right foot and found the corner late on, capping another enjoyable European night for West Ham.
WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Areola 6.5; Johnson 6.5, Dawson 7, Diop 6.5, Cresswell 7; Noble 7 (Soucek 62min, 6), RICE 8; Yarmolenko 7 (Fornals 76), Benrahma 7, Vlasic 6.5 (Lanzini 62, 6); Antonio 6.5 (Bowen 62, 6). Scorers: Rice 29, Benrahma 90+4. Booked: Diop. Manager: David Moyes 6.5. Referee: Tobias Stieler 6.5.