Mohammed Kudus strikes early to help West Ham into Europa League last 16

There was an authority to the way that West Ham took Freiburg apart.

THROUGH TO LAST SIXTEEN: Mohammed Kudus of West Ham United celebrates after scoring their team's first goal during the UEFA Europa League 2023/24 match between West Ham United and Sport-Club Freiburg at London Stadium on December 14, 2023 in London, England. Pic: Eddie Keogh/Getty Images

Laying on European football has long been David Moyes’s way of silencing his critics and, while inconsistent domestic form continues to plague West Ham, they can start planning for another continental adventure after securing first place in their Europa League group with a dominant win over Freiburg.

This was a professional effort from the winners of the Europa Conference League. While both sides were already through, West Ham still needed a point to guarantee progress into the last 16. The alternative was being pitted into a play-off against one of the sides who have dropped down from the Champions League – a tie with Milan could have been on the cards – and Moyes had to be impressed with the way West Ham got the job done with polished goals from Mohammed Kudus and Edson Álvarez during the first half.