West Ham 2-1 Anderlecht
by Paul Donovan
at the London Stadium

WEST HAM confirmed their place in the next round of the Europa Conference League with this comprehensive win over Anderlecht at the London Stadium.

In an often stop start game, it was the home team who struck first when Said Benrahma struck his free kick round the wall and into the left hand corner of the goal.

A second followed swiftly afterwards, as Emerson got down the left to cross the ball into the centre, where Jarrod Bowen sweetly struck the ball from the edge of the penalty area into the roof of the net.

Anderlecht responded, with Yari Verschaeren putting an effort wide of the post, after being put in by Kristian Arnstad.

Sebastiano Esposito then forced West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola to push his long range shot round the post.

West Ham came close to a third, when Benrahma created a chance for substitute Tomas Soucek but his effort hit the side netting.

The game seemed to be fizzling out in the second half, when Ben Johnson conceded a penalty for what looked like an innocuous foul.

Esposito converted the penalty.

This brought a brief flurry from Anderlecht in the final five minutes but it was too little too late, as the home side saw out the game.

There was some trouble amongst the boisterous Anderlecht fans, who at one point through a lighted flare into the section of West Ham fans alongside. A number of plastic plates followed. 

An Anderlecht spokesperson said the club did not condone such behaviour and they would be taking it up with the fans and Uefa. The club apologised to West Ham.

West Ham manager David Moyes did not want to talk about the crowd trouble.

He was pleased that West Ham have qualified for the next round, with just one point needed to win the group - with two games to go.

The manager was pleased with Benrahma's contribution, scoring from the free kick and setting up a number of chances.