David Moyes’ side did well to share points with Ligue 1 top side Lyon after they were reduced to ten men. The London team kept their hopes of reaching the first European semi-final since 1976 alive by battling to a draw in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final with Lyon at London Stadium. Aaron Cresswell was given a red card for bringing down visiting skipper Moussa Dembele when he was the last man in first-half stoppage time.
The red card changed the plan David Moyes came with to the game but it did not spoil the plan completely as the game ended in a tie. Despite the setback, Jarrod Bowen put the Hammers in front seven minutes after the re-start when he seized on a Jerome Boateng mistake in his box and finished on the turn.
But it was a rare glimpse of goal for the home side, who were forced to defend for long periods. Their defenses were eventually breached by on-loan Tottenham midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, who tapped home from close range to earn them a point. West Ham United goalkeeper Alphonse Areola denied Emerson with a decent save as Lyon searched for a winner but West Ham held firm, with Craig Dawson particularly impressive in their rearguard action.
Speaking after the game, David Moyes said: “We have a really difficult game in Lyon now but we expected that – it’s very much all to play for and I would have taken that the way we ended the first half.” “It was not a good performance but it was a good, resilient performance defensively.”