West Ham vs Genk LIVE: Europa League result, final score and reaction tonight
Relive all the live action from the London Stadium
West Ham continued their European cruise with a thumping 3-0 win over Belgian side Genk.
Goals from Craig Dawson, Issa Diop and Jarrod Bowen made it three wins out of three for the Hammers in their maiden Europa League group campaign and kept them firmly on course for the knockout stages.
West Ham are already six points clear at the top of Group H and could even secure qualification as group winners in their next match, in Genk in a fortnight, with two games to spare.
Unlike Sunday’s opponents Tottenham, who left their entire starting XI at home for their unsuccessful continental trip to Vitesse Arnhem, Hammers boss David Moyes kept the likes of Bowen, Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek and Aaron Cresswell in his line-up.
Moyes is clearly eager to secure qualification as quickly as possible, although he took no risks with striker Michail Antonio, having rested him completely ahead of the London derby.
Antonio’s absence as the focal point of West Ham’s attack was felt in a disjointed first half against the Belgian Cup holders.
The hosts were given an early fright when Genk had the ball in the net after Theo Bongonda converted a cross from Junya Ito, but the latter was offside.
Soucek had needed plastic surgery on some horrific facial injuries earlier in the week, having been caught by a stray boot against Everton on Sunday.
But that did not stop the Czech international getting his head to a Rice cross for West Ham’s best chance of the opening stages, with Genk goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt making a diving save.
With the Hammers settling down, Bowen missed a golden opportunity on the half hour when he kicked at thin air in front of goal from Ben Johnson’s inviting low cross, and Dawson headed over from a corner.
Yet West Ham had another lucky escape when goalkeeper Alphonse Areola was beaten to a cross by Genk’s towering striker Paul Onuachu, whose header looped just wide.
Bowen failed to get on the end of another low cross, this time from Cresswell, before West Ham broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time.
Cresswell swung in a corner and centre-half Dawson rose highest to steer the ball home off his shoulder.
West Ham have become set-piece specialists under Moyes and they were at it again at the start of the second half, Dawson’s defensive partner Diop heading home at the near post from Cresswell’s free-kick.
Moments later the hosts stole possession near the halfway line and Bowen galloped forward before firing home a fine solo goal to wrap up the victory.
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
13 mins: Cresswell wins a corner for West Ham. The left-back curls the ball into the box himself but Onuachu rises above everyone to head it clear.
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
10 mins: Genk score! Ito is played in behind down the right. He collects the pass and drives into the right side of the box before squaring it across to Paul Onuachu. He messes up his attempted shot but the ball loops into the air and Theo Bongonda dives at the loose ball to head it into the back of the net.
The Genk players set off in celebration but the offside flag is up and a VAR replay shows Ito was marginally offside in the build-up. The goal gets chalked off.
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
9 mins: Tomas Soucek sends a diagonal ball out to Ben Johnson who gets forward down the right side. He attempts to volley a short pass into the box for Andriy Yarmolenko but gets it all wrong and kicks the ball straight out of play. Yarmolenko applauds the idea though.
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
6 mins: A long throw down the right side almost plays Kristian Thorstvedt into the box as he sneaks behind Aaron Cresswell. Issa Diop comes across to win the ball though and punts it out of play. No nonsense defending.
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
3 mins: Jarrod Bowen carries the ball down the right side for West Ham is is clumsily taken out by Jhon Lucumi. Bowen himself swings the free kick into the area and finds Rice who can’t quite bring it under control and Genk manage to boot the ball clear.
West Ham 0 - 0 Genk
Kick off: Both teams take the knee before Genk kick off the match. They work the ball down the right wing and boot it up to Junya Ito who strays offside as the pass comes over the top.
West Ham vs Genk
Here come the teams. Declan Rice leads out West Ham at the London Stadium. The Hammers are top of Group H after two 2-0 wins over Dinamo Zagreb and Rapid Wien.
If they win tonight they’ll go six points clear at the top.
Moyes on Genk
More from David Moyes who is expecting a difficult game tonight against the Belgian side. He spoke to BT Sport before kick off saying:
It’s a tough game but I’m confident if we do well, we can get a result. We want to continue the momentum with the way we’ve been playing in this competition and also in the Premier League.”
Moyes on West Ham’s Europa campaign
West Ham have won their opening two games of the Europa League this season and are hoping to make it three from three. Manager David Moyes has named a strong side as he aims to reach the knockout stages by qualifying from top of the group. He said:
I’m really enjoying it. We’re a really happy club at the moment. Everyone’s enjoying the league games and Europe and I have to say I’m really enjoying the European experience.
"I want the players to go far in it. It would be great if we could top the group, but trying to make sure that we go through would be the main aim at the moment."
West Ham vs Genk
Reaction from Arnhem to come but the focus moves over to the London Stadium where West Ham prepare to host Genk.
Here’s a reminder of the teams:
West Ham XI: Fabianski, Johnson, Diop, Dawson, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice, Vlasic, Lanzini, Yarmolenko, Bowen.
Genk XI: Vandevoordt, Preciado, Cuesta, Lucumi, Arteaga, Heynen, Hrosovsky, Bongonda, Ito, Onuachu.
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