West Ham Euro stars earn Moyes more breathing space after putting 3 past Everton

David Moyes needed West Ham to score seven in a week to help persuade the club’s fanbase he is the man to take them forward, but further afield he is convinced the club are building a formidable reputation.

The Europa Conference League holders return to the continent this week to face Freiburg in the Europa League, on the back of hitting four against Brentford and three at Goodison Park, although Everton did not deserve to lose.

It seems bizarre that some Hammers supporters want change, with the team seventh in the Premier League and attempting to win back-to-back trophies. There are those who do not want the Scot to get a new contract, with his current one expiring in the summer, but he is pleased with how outsiders are beginning to view West Ham, particularly abroad.

‘We are now being seen as a team where people say, “Bloody hell, they’ve had a Europa semi-final and won a final”,’ he said. ‘We’re getting to the stage where we’ve been there before and done it. I feel we’re getting back to form with Lucas Paqueta coming back and Jarrod Bowen scoring a hat-trick last week.

‘We have settled really well in the European games, played well and won. I have to try to steer us through two legs against Freiburg.’

West Ham rode their luck at times on Saturday. Beto had a penalty saved, then opened the scoring for Everton. Kurt Zouma’s header levelled things up and in added time a Tomas Soucek’s worldie and Edson Alvarez strike completed the smash-and-grab.

Man of the match was Hammers keeper Alphonse Areola, whose nine saves included Beto’s low spot-kick. And the Frenchman revealed Moyes’s focus stayed unaltered, even when fans unfurled banners demanding his departure.

‘He didn’t change at all, nothing,’ said Areola. ‘We all worked