David Moyes has admitted that he was not surprised that West Ham United were able to beat Sevilla to reach the Europa League quarter-finals. The Hammers sealed a 2-0 victory at the London Stadium on Thursday evening to eliminate the Spanish side.
Goals from Tomas Soucek and Andriy Yarmolenko were enough for the Hammers to overturn their first-leg deficit and seal their place in Friday’s quarter-final draw. It was certainly a memorable night in the capital and another that sees West Ham continue their dream season both on the domestic front and European stage - especially considering that they had ousted habitual Europa League winners Sevilla.
Despite the task presented to West Ham ahead of the clash, Moyes admitted that he was not shocked that his side managed to book their progression and has backed his side to continue their form against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.
READ MORE: The London Stadium finally feels like home for West Ham after Europa League triumph over Sevilla
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, he said: "The team have been galvanised by the performances, we played well vs Liverpool and Aston Villa and there are signs our form is improving.
"Last night I was not surprised by us getting the result as I felt we could do it against a really good Spanish team but overall we go into Tottenham like any other game but we know the importance of it."
With West Ham now earning a taste of the latter stages of European football, Moyes is keen for the squad to replicate that success going forwards. The game against Spurs now represents a wonderful opportunity for the Hammers to stake a claim for yet more away trips across the continent next term - a fact that is not lost upon Moyes.
"They're all important, whether it is a team at the bottom or the top,” he continued. "It's a derby for West Ham and Tottenham, so we know it'll be a difficult game.
“Where you finish in the league gets you the chance to qualify for Europe. It's your bread and butter as far as I'm concerned. Being in cup competitions adds to what we're trying to do and teaches us how to make strides forward.
“At the moment, we've got a big game coming up - it's a hard game - and we know we're going to be tested to the maximum.”
