West Ham United emphatically reached the semi-finals of the Europa League by thumping Lyon 3-0 in their own back yard.
David Moyes' men will now face German side Eintracht Frankfurt in the last four, with goals from Craig Dawson, Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen sending their 'messiah' of a manager to his first-ever European semi-final. The Irons went into the second leg with the aggregate scores at 1-1, having held out for a nervy draw with 10 men at the London Stadium last Thursday.
Once it was a level playing field in France, West Ham made their quality count with a typically well-executed game-plan; soaking up pressure with resolute defending and hitting the hapless Lyon on the counter. Dawson's thumping header broke the deadlock on 38 minutes before Rice and Bowen netted either side of half-time, as Pablo Fornals racked up a hat-trick of assists in the famous win.
Here are five talking points from the Groupama Stadium.
1. Irons fire it up
Much like the flow of the first leg after Aaron Cresswell was controversially sent off, Lyon dominated the opening stages in terms of possession, but it was West Ham who found the best chance of the opening goal after 24 minutes. Soaking up pressure for the home side, the Irons burst away through Michail Antonio down the left, who shrugged off former Manchester City defender Jason Denayer and put 18-year-old right-back Gusto on the floor with his fast week.
Finding Jarrod Bowen at the far post with an arching cross, the West Ham winger got his right foot to the ball on the volley but couldn't steer it past Julian Pollersbeck in the Lyon goal. Shortly after, the hosts fluffed their first big opportunity, as Alphonse Areola saved a tame effort from Karl Toko Ekambi from a Gusto cross and Moussa Dembele flick-on.
2. Dawson breaks the deadlock
After defending resolutely for 38 minutes and relying on counter attacks, the Irons made their first corner count. And it was a man who'd done most of their defending, Craig Dawson, who rose highest and the front post to nod home Pablo Fornals' inch-perfect delivery.
Profiting from a training-ground move, the 31-year-old found himself unmarked and thumped in a header past the helpless Pollersbeck, who was rooted to his line. The goal was Dawson's second strike of their reverting European campaign and it was about to get even better.
3. Rice-cool
Just as it looked like Lyon would have to regroup at half-time and scheme to overturn a one-goal deficit, Declan Rice doubled West Ham's advantage and made their French giants' job even harder. After the superb Ben Johnson - handed the tough task of replacing Cresswell by David Moyes - cut out Gusto's clearance, Fornals found space on the left flank and whipped in.
Although his cross was initially deflected away from goal, Rice was ready and waiting on the edge of the penalty area to control the ball and unleash a strike that ricocheted into the bottom corner. The captain's goal sent the lucky 2,800 Irons supporters inside the stadium wild and Moyes' men into the break with a two-goal cushion.
4. Bowen blasts out the blocks
With jubilation filling the away concourses at the Groupama Stadium throughout half-time, West Ham sent their fans fully into dreamland by starting the second half as they ended the first, needing only three minutes to go 3-0 up. Bowen, the Irons' chief goal-getter this season, made it three by becoming the third man to profit from Fornals' supreme creativity.
Making it a hat-trick of assists, the Spanaird played a wonderful through ball to the 25-year-old, who drove into the box and evaded Lyon's scrambling back line. Coolly slotting beyond Pollersback, Bowen wheeled away in celebration, wrapping the game up with almost a full half of football to spare and Lyon completely out of sorts.
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5. The Moyessiah
How many times will it be said? The Irons' controversial decision to bring back David Moyes, with the club once again facing relegation from the Premier League, has proved a masterstroke and sparked a fantasy in east London. The Scot had never reached the last four of a European competition in his accomplished managerial career but West Ham will now face off against Eintracht Frankfurt for a place in the final, who stunned Barcelona to win 3-2 themselves at the Camp Nou.
And it was Frankfurt who the Irons played in their last European semi-final 46 years ago, beating the Germans 3-1 in the 1976 European Cup Winners' Cup. Although their run agonisingly ended in a final defeat to Anderlecht, there's certainly a shot at going one better in their new European dream.
