Perhaps the afternoon onslaught of slashing rain had washed West Ham clean of their regret, a year on from their Europe League semi-final defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt. Perhaps this Europa Conference League semi-final with AZ Alkmaar is just a step down in competition. Either way, its first leg marked a liberating step forward for West Ham, who battled from behind to emerge 2-1 winners at home on Thursday.
The 2006 FA Cup final, a soul-splintering affair for the Hammers, remains the closest the club has come to a trophy in over 40 years, and while that shattered spirit is arguably still to be restored, its fragments seemed to glint when West Ham reached the final four of the continent’s second competition 12 months ago.
