Unbelievable evening
What a night for West Ham. The greatest in recent years and undoubtedly since they moved into the London Stadium. The stands were bouncing, the players jumping, tears in the eyes of those young and old. It was a privilege to be there and a night few will forget in a hurry... if ever.
The East London air was filled with chants of 'Irons, Irons' and 'West Ham are massive' long after the final whistle. And it will be an evening that joins the greats of West Ham history in club folklore.
The players were superb, from the fantastic Alphonse Areola in goal to the non-stop running of Michail Antonio up front, via the imperious Declan Rice, from one to 14 West Ham were brilliant.
Their game plan worked to a tee, high pressing, harrying Sevilla and non-stop running proved too much for their European opponents. But it was more than just work rate and desire there was skill and tactical discipline. Moyes set his team up perfectly, took the right gambles on injury doubts and timed his substitutions to perfection.
The plaudits will be far and wide and rightly so but as the manager said 'there is no medal for this' he wants more and there is no reason this West Ham team cannot go onto achieve it.
Read more: Who West Ham can face in Europa League quarter-final after last-16 Sevilla victory
Risks worth taking
Ahead of the match David Moyes was adamant he would not take any risks with his player selections and would only play those fully fit. He may well have been telling the truth but it did seem a little hard to believe.
In a game as huge as last night's risks were worth taking. Both Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell went off injured on Sunday against Aston Villa yet the pair were in the starting XI on Thursday night. Whatever the extent of their knocks were, it was the right decision from Moyes to risk them.
Not only was this the biggest game of West Ham's season it was the biggest at the London Stadium and arguably the biggest since the 2006 FA Cup Final. Whatever the result the risks were worth taking. Both men played the full 90 of the game and deep into extra time and looked sharp from the start. It proved a gamble worth taking and Moyes should be applauded for his willingness to roll the dice.
Rice's leadership
Declan Rice was up for this match. He spent the entire game geeing up his players and urging them on as the Hammers fought to make it through to the quarter-finals. Before the match the team lined up for a photo with Rice as captain in the centre of the picture, such was his enthusiasm to get going the England international cannot have crouched down for more than half a second before leaping up and sprinting away.
Rice ran half the length of the pitch before getting to the goalline and urging the crowd to make the noise even louder. The place was already rocking but it was as if Spinal Tap were in town and the crowd answered his call and took it to 11.
Twenty seconds into the second half and after both he and Soucek had tried their luck at goal Rice once again turned to the crowd and pleaded for more, they duly responded. It was not just as a cheerleader that Rice showed his leadership he did so on the pitch, driving upfield with the ball, raking 50 yard crossfield passes, protesting with the referee at Sevilla's antics that started early and generally setting the high-intensity mood for his side.
If this is, and hopefully it will not be, Rice's last European campaign in a West Ham shirt the captain is determined to go out on a high. He deserves to be playing at the highest level for both club and country, everyone at West Ham is willing that to be in claret and blue.
Rocking London Stadium
It felt like a night at the Boleyn. That is how bouncing the London Stadium was on Thursday night.
The noise when Tomas Soucek's header hit the back of the next was like nothing this stadium has heard since Super Saturday in 2012 and certainly nothing West Ham have ever done has produced decibels like that.
From pre-match to the final whistle the stadium was rocking. From the Wembley Euro 2020 DJ setting the mood pre-match to Rice whipping up the fans, the stadium felt like home. It is not realistic to expect an atmosphere like that every week but nobody can ever say this stadium is soulless anymore.
Visiting supporters like to sing about West Ham 'selling their soul for this ****hole', the London Stadium was full of soul on Thursday night and sets a new standard for the ground.
Vintage Soucek
Tomas Soucek has not had the same impact in his second full season as he did in his first, this is the opinion not just of football.london but of David Moyes. However, on Thursday night Soucek was back to his best.
The Czech captain was all over the pitch, often the closest man to Antonio but at other times making vital blocks in his own box. His header in the first half was simply classic Soucek, he made a run into the box but saw Antonio take his time on the ball. The midfielder then kept himself alive and peeled to the back post to attack the clipped cross from the striker and buried his header.
He made it look easier than it was, he had to climb higher than his marker Ludwig Augustinsson and direct the ball into the only place Bono could not reach and he did exactly that, placing it perfectly inside the far post before wheeling off in celebration.
Such is his love for the club after jumping in the air and screaming with delight Soucek remembered to cross his arms before heading to the fans to celebrate. As if they needed any more reason to adore him Soucek cemented himself in their hearts with that one instinctual celebration. He even remembered to call the club massive multiple times in his post-match press conference!
