15 March 2024 , 12:18
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West Ham will face Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League quarter-finals next month - and striker Michail Antonio believes the east Londoners can go all the way.
The belief gained from last season’s Conference League triumph means David Moyes’ side fear no-one left in the competition - underlined by their dominant run of 11 straight home victories in Europe. The first leg will take place on April 11 before a return fixtures seven days' later with the winners facing Milan or Roma in the semis.
And having been recalled to the frontline for last night’s 5-0 hammering of a stunned Freiburg, Antonio said: “We always think about winning it. Whenever we get into Europe we believe and have got the confidence to win it. There's some big names out there obviously but one thing we know how to do is win games in Europe.
“We got to the [Conference League] final last year and won it, the year before we got to the semis and felt like we should have done better. So hopefully this year we can do it again.
“Many players go through their career without winning anything and by winning the Conference last year it gives you that hunger to do it again, especially me in my latter years.”
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Mohammed Kudus stole the show against Freiburg by scoring at the end of a 60-yard dribble that Moyes described as a “Roy of the Rovers goal”.
And it went some way to quieting critics of Moyes’ direct style following a tricky run of league form since January. “It might not be the prettiest but we're getting results,” Antonio said, before agreeing that he is part of a front four among the most devastating in the country.
“The quality we have behind me: Jarrod [Bowen] bags goals, Kudus with goals and Lucas [Paqueta adds goals but is more of an assist man. Going forward we've got pace, we've got power, we've got strength and we've got ability to score goals.”
Mohammed Kudus fires home his stunning goal with his weaker right foot in West Ham's win over Freiburg.Kudus has been arguably the Premier League signing of the season since arriving from Ajax, with Antonio hailing him and England star Jarrod Bowen as the Hammers’ silent assassins.
“He's quiet to be fair, him and Jarrod in that role with each other. In the changing room he's not bringing much, but he's bringing enough on the pitch so he doesn't need to bring anything to the changing room. I'm enough myself.
There is also variety with all four capable of moving into secondary positions. Antonio, who has recently returned from a troublesome hamstring injury, added: “Jarrod can cut in, whip it in with his left foot. Mo plays on the left, plays on the right, got the power to run through players. Lucas has got the skills and pass to put anywhere through. With all that it is magic and hopefully it can keep working for us.”
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