SECOND HALF – A PROMISING START
Following the break, Amorim’s team kept the pressure on, and just four minutes in, Hojlund pressured Kilman into a mistake, allowing Fernandes to break free and go one-on-one with Areola. Unfortunately, the captain’s shot was not clean enough and went straight to the goalkeeper, who made the save. Kobbie Mainoo then saw his attempt deflect out for a corner.
From the resulting corner, Matthijs de Ligt’s header was expertly saved by Areola, after Fernandes sent a hooked ball into the box.
A couple of minutes later, in the 52nd minute, Mainoo capitalized on a poor pass from Areola. Fernandes received the ball and delivered a stunning finish, exploiting Areola’s slight mispositioning with remarkable accuracy and skill.
The east London side managed to pull one back in the 63rd minute with a powerful strike from Bowen. Jean-Clair Todibo assisted Soucek, who set up the England international for a clinical finish that narrowed the deficit.
In the 66th minute, Amorim substituted all his outfield players, and with the Hammers making several changes too, the match became somewhat fragmented. Nonetheless, with six minutes remaining in regular time, Luis Guilherme unleashed a fierce shot that fortunately sailed over Bayindir’s crossbar.
There was another major opportunity in injury time when Bowen aimed for goal again, but Bayindir came up with an incredible save, preserving the lead and securing all three points as the team looks ahead to their next match against Bournemouth, who had triumphed over Everton 3-0 earlier.
