By Gonzo
The Europa Conference League game against AEK Larnaca was little more than a training match, with West Ham not needing to break sweat too frequently during the 90 minutes. With that in mind it’s very difficult to read too much into the result, but perhaps a training match and confidence boost was precisely what the club required.
I’m quite sure the run-out will have given Michail Antonio a much needed spring in his step. He scored twice before departing on the 55th minute, and whilst he may have have been unmarked for his first goal it still required a deft finish. His second goal was good enough to grace any stage, and his curled long-range shot will have given him a massive boost ahead of Sunday’s Premier League game against Aston Villa.
It was the reappearance of £17m winger Maxwel Cornet which must have been the best news of the trip to Cyprus though. Moyes brought him on as an 81st minute substitute for Said Benrahma and the former Burnley man produced a very promising cameo. Cornet was unlucky not to finish with an assist to his name, following a wonderful turn and pass which was unfortunately wasted by fellow summer signing Lucas Paqueta.
Cornet looked sharp and direct during his short stint on the pitch, he’s certainly provided a glimpse of what he may be able to offer David Moyes during the run-in
