1. Disappointments dispelled by fast start
With a little under 67 hours between full-time in Frankfurt and kick-off at Carrow Road, heavy legs might have been forgiven amongst West Ham United’s ranks.
Not a bit of it.
Straight from kick-off, the Irons were on the attack in Norfolk, burying their UEFA Europa League disappointment from midweek in an impressive avalanche of impressive football.
The move which led to Saïd Benrahma’s opening goal was impressive not only in the precision of the interplay between Jarrod Bowen and Manuel Lanzini on the edge of the Norwich box, but in its pace, the ball zipped out to the Algerian before the Canaries defence had enjoyed any time to settle at all.
That was after 12 minutes and, while they were facing an already-relegated Norwich side with little other than pride to play for, the Hammers looked a cut above their hosts from those very opening exchanges.
There might have been a touch of fortune to Michail Antonio’s goal, although it was still well-worked to Bowen – but the Irons’ third, on the stroke of half-time to effectively put the game to bed, was superb from Lanzini, Bowen and Benrahma, blowing the Canaries away.
A three-goal lead at half-time afforded the Hammers a degree of comfort in the second half, and while they would add to their tally from the penalty spot via Lanzini, they were able to cruise towards three important points in the race for European football next season.
A challenging week, but one which ended on a high.
2. Bowen’s brilliance
The No20 has been in scintillating form this season and continued to demonstrate the kind of form which will likely make him a strong contender for a first-ever England call-up at the end of the month.
An offensive force with both feet on Sunday, Bowen was involved in all three of his side’s opening goals, fizzing the ball out to Benrahma for the first goal before cleverly picking up space in between the Norwich lines to play the ball which led to Antonio’s finish.
Whilst Bowen was not officially awarded the assist for the latter – Norwich goalkeeper Tim Krul’s touch on the ball was adjudged to have carried it into Antonio’s path – the No20 did write more Hammers history with his intelligently crafted cross for Benrahma’s second of the match.
With that assist, Bowen had officially registered ten goals and ten assists in the Premier League this season, only the second West Ham player ever to achieve both feats.
The first? Another influential Iron, Paolo Di Canio, who picked up 16 goals and 13 assists in 1999/00 – and the kind of company Bowen’s performances this season have merited.
3. The sing-song in the sunshine
Over land and sea, West Ham United’s Claret & Blue Army have travelled thousands of miles across 54 games in all competitions this season to ensure ‘Bubbles’ could be heard loud and proud throughout the continent.
With many of the travelling supporters only returning from Frankfurt late on Friday or early on Saturday, a Sunday lunchtime kick-off in Norfolk might have been less well-attended – at least at any other football club.
But much like their squad, this West Ham support is something special and one to be savoured, as just shy of 3,000 Hammers fans basked in the sunshine at Carrow Road and outroared the home support with renditions from across the full songbook.
From ‘Over Land and Sea’ to ‘Super David Moyes’, and ‘Twist and Shout’ to ‘ His Name is Ludo Miklosko’ – not forgetting two glorious rounds of ‘Happy Birthday’ to Club captain Mark Noble off the bench – the Hammers faithful revelled in a happy day on the road, continuing to do their players and Club proud.
As manager Moyes explained afterwards: “I think the players deserve it. The players have done such a good job and the supporters are showing exactly that, supporting them in a way where they recognise the efforts they’ve put in.”
4. Happy birthday, Mark Noble!
It seems impossible to contemplate that Club captain Mark Noble is now into the final fortnight of life as a West Ham United player.
Europe’s longest-serving one-club man, having made over 500 appearances for his boyhood side since debuting in August 2004, has created innumerable memories in that time for our fans and our Football Club.
And with the Canning Town local turning 35-years-old on Sunday, Noble was able to celebrate with 23 minutes’ worth of class off the bench as a second-half substitute, completing 98 per cent of his 51 passes, including all four long balls attempted.
The celebrations had begun for Noble as early as Benrahma’s opening goal, with the captain having already told the No22 prior to kick-off that he would score on his birthday.
Benrahma duly delivered, racing over to the touchline to celebrate the effort with Noble in front of a jubilant bench.
And when Noble entered the field of play, not only was he handed the captain’s armband immediately by Declan Rice, but he was given a huge reception by the travelling West Ham fans – as well as the aforementioned chorus of ‘Happy birthday’.
If these are the final matches of Noble’s career, a major European semi-final, a classy cameo in a dominant win over the Canaries and a showpiece final home match – against Premier League leaders Manchester City at London Stadium next Sunday – all seem fitting occasions for a true West Ham United great.
