Laying on European football has long been David Moyes’s way of silencing his critics and, while inconsistent domestic form continues to frustrate West Ham’s attempts to push on in the Premier League, they can start planning for another continental adventure after securing first place in their Europa League group with a dominant win over Freiburg.
This was a professional, measured effort from the winners of the Europa Conference League. West Ham needed a point to guarantee progress into the last 16 and avoid a playoff against one of the sides who have dropped down from the Champions League. Moyes had to be impressed with the way his side got the job done during the first half, seeing off a limited challenge from Freiburg with polished goals from Mohammed Kudus and Edson Álvarez.
