West Ham’s hopes of progressing in the Europa League were dashed as Jeremie Frimpong’s late goal denied them the satisfaction of being the first team to defeat Bayer Leverkusen this season.
The match started well for West Ham, with Michail Antonio scoring a header in the 13th minute, giving them a strong start in their attempt to overcome a two-goal deficit from the previous leg.
However, despite their dominance in the first half, they were unable to breach the Leverkusen defense for a second time. Jarrod Bowen came close with a far-post effort, but Leverkusen improved after the break. Frimpong missed a chance but redeemed himself in the 89th minute with a shot that deflected off Aaron Cresswell and beat Lukasz Fabianski.
This goal maintained Leverkusen’s unbeaten record since May last year and secured their place in the semi-finals against Roma. West Ham, although fatigued, received applause from their fans for their European adventures, which included winning the Europa Conference League last season.
While they still have a slim chance of qualifying for another European season, they must improve their Premier League performance. Additionally, the future of manager David Moyes remains uncertain as his contract expires at the end of the season.