West Ham 3 NK Domzale 0: Cheikhou Kouyate brace sees happy Hammers kick off Olympic Stadium party in grand style
Slaven Bilic's men put in top performance to overturn first-leg defeat with new signing Sofiane Feghouli also scoring
WEST HAM kicked off their Olympic Stadium party in style with a convincing 3-0 win against NK Domzale.
The Hammers trailed 2-1 from the first-leg of their Europa League third-round qualifier, and Slaven Bilic's men were desperate to make amends at their new home.
The pressure to ensure victory in the first-ever match at their new home was high, but Cheikhou Kouyate's brace made sure loyal Irons supporters were not left disappointed.
And the win was sealed late on when summer signing Sofiane Feghouli found the back of the net from a Mark Noble assist, with the Hammers now progressing to the next stage.
FACTS, STATS, GOALS & LOLS
- The pre-match walk through a glitzy shopping centre will take some getting used to for Hammers fans used to their traditional stroll down Green Street.
- Pie and mash has been replaced by tacos and guacamole, but that didn’t seem to bother those tucking in at the fashionable bars and restaurants before kick-off.
- The culture shock continued inside the redeveloped stadium - there’s no doubt about it, this is a very different West Ham and the die-hards won’t be won over easily.
- The decision to hand West Ham the stadium was controversial – but it’s impossible not to be impressed the place. The green sheeting couldn’t disguise the fact there plenty of running track between some seats and the action though.
- And a pair of West Ham binoculars might turn out to be the must-have Christmas gift for some a few of those fans with seats at the back of the stands.
- The stadium finally began to feel like the Hammers’ home when the pre-match chorus of ‘Bubbles’ brought a bit of the Boleyn to Queen Elizabeth Park. Could do with a better bubble machine though.
- Bilic admitted he feared his could take time to settle, but Kouyate’s early strike went a long way towards calming the nerves.
- The atmosphere was flat at times but it didn’t take much to get the noise echoing around the stands – the place should be rocking for the big games this season.
- Kouyate’s energetic display confirmed he could be a key man this season – and Michail Antonio looked right at home speeding up and down the flank
West Ham’s next five games:
(H) Juventus – 7 Aug (Friendly)
(A) Chelsea – 15 Aug (Prem)
(H) Bournemouth – 21 Aug (Prem)
(A) Man City – 28 Aug (Prem)
(H) Watford – 10 Sep (Prem)
WHAT THEY SAID
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: “It was a special kind of game for us, the first game at the new Stadium. We played good football. It was totally different to the game in Slovenia.
“The early goal helped, but we deserved it. We pushed and concentrated for the whole 90 minutes but 3-0 is a good result for us. We are through and it’s important because it is in front of the crowd in the new Stadium. It was a good night for West Ham.
“We deserved it, played some good stuff and the crowd could enjoy some of our beautiful moves from the whole team. I like the way we defended and attacked.”