West Ham’s new acquisition, Mohammed Kudus, notched his debut goal for the club during their comeback against Serbian outfit Backa Topola.
The Hammers made their return to Europa League action on Thursday night following their previous season’s Europa Conference League triumph but faced an early setback in the second half.
This setback occurred when Angelo Ogbonna momentarily lapsed in defense, allowing Petar Stanic to put Backa Topola in the lead.
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West Ham supporters were left stunned by this turn of events but eventually managed to mount a response.
Said Benrahma executed an impressive run down the left flank and delivered a tantalizing ball into the box, targeting Kudus.
In the 66th minute, Kudus seemed to be the scorer, though it was officially recorded as a Nemanja Petrovic own-goal.
Moments later, Kudus indeed found the back of the net for the Hammers, heading in a goal from James Ward-Prowse’s well-placed corner.
Ward-Prowse continued to play a pivotal role, delivering another pinpoint corner from the left, which was met by Tomas Soucek’s glancing header, extending West Ham’s lead to 3-1.
Backa Topola displayed commendable energy throughout the remaining moments of the game, reflecting their earlier impressive efforts.
However, West Ham’s superior quality ultimately prevailed, securing them a valuable three points in the group.
This match further bolstered Ward-Prowse’s impressive record for goal contributions at the club. He has now notched two goals and provided five assists in just his first five matches in East London, a remarkably strong start.
In Group A, West Ham faces German side Freiburg and Greek outfit Olympiacos as they set their sights on another European trophy.
Source: 20newshub.com
