West Ham ‘fear nobody’ in Europa League after toppling Sevilla on unforgettable night at London Stadium

Declan Rice says West Ham will fear no one in Europe this season, having knocked out Europa League kings Sevilla.

Dave Moyes’s side overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit against the six-time winners as they won 2-0 in extra-time last night with a remarkable performance here at the London Stadium.

The Hammers were this morning waiting to find out their opponents in today’s quarter-final draw.

But Rice said: “There’s no one to fear. Sevilla were probably the favourites. When the draw happened, people thought we’d get knocked out, and we’ve knocked them out.

“We can go anywhere and get a result. Teams are coming here knowing they’re in for a game.

“[It was] so special last night. This club, the stadium, the fans, the players, we deserve these big European nights. We stepped up.

“We’ve worked hard for this. Relegation battles, from when Moyes came in. Still up there in the Premier League and now into the quarter-finals. There is a big buzz around the place.

“The manager deserves massive credit. When he came in, we weren’t performing as a team. Before the game he gave a great speech, a motivational speech, that really spurred us on. I’m lost for words. Just walking around the pitch at the end, taking it all in. Everything about the night was so, so special.”

Michail Antonio recovered from a thigh injury picked up on Sunday to start. He claimed an assist for the opener and caused problems for the Sevilla defence throughout, playing almost all of the 120 minutes.

“We fear nobody,” said Antonio. “We play in the Premier League and it doesn’t matter who we play, we try to get three points. We’re in this to win it. We’re not just here to take part. Why can’t we win it? This season is like a dream come true. This is the first time in Europe for me. I’ve become West Ham’s Premier League top scorer.

“We dominated. We always believed in ourselves. From the first half we were on them, creating chances.”

REUTERS

Tomas Soucek pulled West Ham level on aggregate with a superb first-half header across goal from Antonio’s cross.

West Ham dominated but needed extra-time to seal their place in the last eight.

Andriy Yarmolenko was at the heart of another emotional moment as the Ukraine international slotted home the winner after Pablo Fornals’s shot had been spilled. The goal came just days after Yarmolenko had scored the opener against Aston Villa, his first game back since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Yarmolenko was a little bit emotional away from the lads afterwards,” said Rice. “For what he’s been through to perform like this is a credit to him — his desire, the way he chased players and scored two crucial goals. He deserves this. He stepped up. I’m delighted for him.”

Moyes has never progressed past a quarter-final in European football.

The manager said: “This is great, but I need to go further now, that is my big thing. I am challenging the players but I have to challenge myself as well and find a way of getting a result in the next game.”

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