Forward Jarrod Bowen scored a late winner as West Ham beat Fiorentina 2-1 to win the UEFA Europa Conference League after on Wednesday evening.
Bowen’s winner came in the 90th minute to win the game after Saidi Benrahma’ penalty goal had earlier been cancelled out by Giacomo Bonaventure.
Bowen latched onto Lucas Paqueta’s clever pass through the Fiorentina defence and smartly striked into the back of the net to send thousands of West Ham into pure celebrations.
Fiorentina started off the game the brightest and controlled possession in the opening exchanges of the game, but it was West ham that had the first attempt at goal as Michael Antonio fire low into Pietro Terracciano’s arms.
Fiorentina responded with a chance of their own a few minutes later, but Rolando Mandragora sent his long-distance effort wide off Alphonse Areola’s goal.
In the 13th minute, Declan Rice sent his effort narrowly wide after Vladimir Coufal’s throw-in was met by Zouma, for the defender to turn the ball back towards the skipper.
As the game was approaching to the break, Fiorentina had the ball into the back of the net, but were denied by assistant referee’s flag which was raised for offside against goal scorer Luka Jovic.
The first chance of the second half fell to Benrahma when he had his effort deflected out for a corner.
Just like in the first half, Fiorentina had most of the possession, but it was West Ham that looked threatening.
Just after the hour mark, West ham got an opportunity to take the lead after a long forward ball was chested down by Bowen and connected with Biraghi’s stretched hand in the area to take away the ball from the England attacker in the area.
After a lengthy VAR check, center referee Carlos del Cerro pointed to the spot and up stepped Benrahma, who calmly dispatched the penalty into the back of the net to send the West Ham into celebrations.
But this lead didn’t last so long as Fiorentina levelled matter just four minutes afterwards through Bonaventure, who scored from a tight angle after Gonzalez’s knock-down.
With game appearing to head into the extra time, Bowen produced a moment of magic to win the game and title for West Ham.
The Englishman made a brilliant run to meet Paqueta’s pinpoint pass to exquisitely strike past the oncoming Terraciano and into the empty net to send the fans back into celebrations.
With the victory, West Ham has now ended their 43-year wait for a major silverware. The Hammers had last won a trophy in 1976 in the European Cup Winner’s Cup against Anderlecht.
For Fiorentina, they lose their second final this season after having lost the Copa Italia 3-1 to Inter Milan last month.
