To many West Ham fans, this Europa League quarter-final tie with Lyon looked set to be the French connection between a surreal slaying of Sevilla in the last 16 and a semi-final against Barcelona or Frankfurt. It may yet prove to be just that, but based on the evidence of this turbulent first-leg draw, it will be no French dispatch.
The east London air carried a gentle chill and was laced with a distinct dose of expectation as West Ham fans filled their stadium on this early spring evening, with the pre-match rendition of “Bubbles” emitting undertones of belief rather than the almost audible hope that characterised the anthem ahead of the second-leg home win against Sevilla.
