Aaron Cresswell, Craig Dawson and Michail Antonio all struggled as West Ham United fell to defeat at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League semi-final.Â
It wasn’t to be for the Hammers as David Moyes’ side succumbed to their Bundesliga opposition in Germany having lost the first leg 2-1 in east London a week earlier.
The Irons were still in the contest despite the damaging loss at the London Stadium, but the early dismissal of Cresswell following a VAR review was too big a blow to the West Ham hopes.
Midway through the first half, Rafael Borre opened the scoring before a frustrated Moyes was sent off having watched his side fail to break down their well-organised hosts.
Albeit a spirited display throughout, we’ve taken a deep dive into the statistics and according to Sofascore, three Hammers, in particular, struggled to perform in Germany.
Cresswell 3.0/10
Perhaps a little harsh given that the experienced defender only lasted 19 minutes at the Deutsche Bank Park, however, Moyes would’ve been counting on the 32-year-old to stand up to be counted on such a momentous occasion.
Instead, Cresswell only had 22 touches, lost 2/2 of his duels and lost possession six times before being sent off.
Antonio 6.6/10
This was another below-par performance from the out of sorts striker as the 32-year-old struggled to impact the attacking prowess of the 10-men Irons, albeit with limit service at times.
Antonio lost the ball on 17 occasions, came out second best on 11 duels and only had 34 touches despite lasting 90 minutes.
Dawson 6.7/10
So often the bedrock of West Ham’s defensive solidity, the experienced Dawson lacked the required composure in a hostile atmosphere.
The 32-year-old – whose birthday it is today – lost 4/5 aerial duels, gave away the ball 12 times and misplaced ten passes as Moyes’ men were eliminated at the final hurdle before a trip to Seville.
Will West Ham win the Europa League?
Yes
No
In other news: ‘Something special’ – Journalist says ‘massive player’ could be tempted to join West Ham, find out more here.
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