West Ham defeated Fiorentina in Prague in the 2022-23 UEFA Europa Conference League Final. Their 2-1 win saw them win a major European title for the first time since 1965 – here’s how they did it.

89:44. That will be forever etched in the minds of West Ham fans.

European success doesn’t come often to West Ham United, with this just their second major European title after the 1965 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

The 2022-23 UEFA Europa Conference League was won with just 16 seconds of normal time left, thanks to Jarrod Bowen’s strike.

Latching on to a perfect through ball from the excellent Lucas Paquetá, Bowen raced through to fire past Fiorentina goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano to win the match.

Bowen, who just nine years ago was playing fifth-tier football in England with Hereford United, became the first English player to score the winning goal in a major European final since Arsenal’s Alan Smith in the 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup.

In what might be Declan Rice’s final game for the club, he became just the second West Ham captain to lift a European trophy after the great Bobby Moore in 1965. Rice was one of the calmest figures on the pitch for West Ham on the night, despite Fiorentina dominating possession for large spells. Rice attempted (28) and completed (23) more passes than any other West Ham player in the game, while he was the only Hammers’ player to win more than one tackle (two).

Saïd Benrahma opened the scoring for West Ham with his sixth penalty goal from six attempts in 2022-23 across all competitions. The only Premier League player to have taken as many this season with a 100% success rate is Alexis Mac Allister.

It took exactly five minutes for Fiorentina to equalise, with a measured strike from Giacomo Bonaventura. It saw him become the oldest Italian scorer in a major European final (33 years, 289 days) since Paolo Maldini for AC Milan vs. Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League final, who was 36. The Viola midfielder had ended on the winning side in each of the previous six competitive matches in 2022-23 that he’d scored in before tonight, but that run ended thanks to Bowen’s late, late winner.

The Europa Conference League is West Ham’s competition. Tonight’s win was their 12th in the competition proper in 2022-23 (excluding qualifiers) – that’s one more game than they won in 38 Premier League matches this season (11).

West Ham are European champions. It’s not often you can say that.

West Ham UECL Champions

On this page below, you’ll find the Opta chalkboard tool, which enables you to do your own analysis on this year’s UEFA Europa Conference League final. From kick-off, you’ll see all the match data populate in the chalkboards, allowing you to analyse metrics from goals, assists, shots, passes, tackles and interceptions for every player in both line-ups.

Underneath the chalkboards, you will also see our live match coverage, as it happens.

Fiorentina vs West Ham Timeline: Live Coverage


22:02: WEST HAM WIN THE UEFA EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE!

They’ve done it. West Ham have won the 2022-23 UEFA Europa Conference League and picked up their second European title – their first since the 1965 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

Declan Rice will be the first West Ham captain to lift a European trophy since the late, great Bobby Moore.

Jarrod Bowen is the hero – he is the first English player to score a winning goal in a major European final since Alan Smith in the 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup for Arsenal.

21:54: Last Minute Winner for West Ham?

Jarrod Bowen has just written himself into West Ham history. A 90th-minute winner in a major European final.

Bowen had struggled for goals recently, with just two in his previous 16 competitive appearance for the club – that will all be forgotten now.

West Ham are just injury time away from winning their first European trophy since 1965…

Bowen Goals West Ham UECL Final

21:33: Fiorentina Equalise!

Exactly five minutes after Saïd Benrahma opened the scoring for West Ham, Fiorentina equalise at the other end of the pitch. It’s midfielder Giacomo Bonaventura with the strike – his seventh of the season.

Bad news for West Ham fans… on the six previous occasions that he’s scored in all competitions for Fiorentina this season, he’s ended on the winning side.

21:25: West Ham Open the Scoring!

Saïd Benrahma becomes the first West Ham player to score in a major European final since Keith Robson in the 1976 Cup Winners’ Cup final.

The Algerian has now scored six penalties from six attempts in all competitions for the Hammers in 2022-23 – the only Premier League player to have taken as many this season with a 100% success rate is Alexis Mac Allister.

Advantage West Ham.

Benrahma Penalty Goal West Ham UECL Final

21:04: The Difference in Pass Maps

West Ham have had to do a lot of work off the ball, tonight. Fiorentina have dominated possession and completed nearly three times as many passes and crosses as West Ham (243 vs. 93).

Fiorentina passes UECL Final First Half
West Ham passes UECL Final First Half

20:57: Goalless at Half-time

We go into half-time level… just. Fiorentina forward Christian Kouamé sees his header come off the post, before rebounding to Luka Jovic. Jovic’s header squirms past Alphonse Areola, but he’s just offside.

With that ruled out by the assistant referee, it means that despite Fiorentina’s 68.5% possession figure going into the break, they didn’t manage a single shot on target.

That might mean we see top scorer Arthur Cabral sooner rather than later.

Cabral’s scored 17 goals across 47 games for the Viola in 2022-23, averaging a goal every 148 minutes.

Arthur Cabral in 2022-23 for Fiorentina

20:32: Tough Night for Antonio

It’s been a tough opening half an hour for Michail Antonio. He’s had 15 touches of the ball so far, but is yet to complete a pass to a teammate.

Antonio Passes first 30 mins UECL Final

20:21: Fiorentina in Possession, West Ham Hoping to Counter

Fiorentina have enjoyed the bulk of the possession in the opening 20 minutes (71.4%), but that won’t bother West Ham too much.

Across the Premier League this season, David Moyes’ side had an average direct speed of 1.62 metres per second progressed upfield in open play sequences, which was below only Nottingham Forest (1.64m/s) and Leeds United (1.78m/s). Essentially, this shows how the Hammers have the ability to hit sides quickly in transition – something it looks like they might have to do tonight in order to get some success.

Across all Premier League sides in competitive action this season, only Manchester United (54) have attempted more shots from fast break situations than West Ham (33).

One to keep an eye on as the game opens up…

20:00: Kick-off in Prague

Fiorentina get us underway.

At kick-off, the Opta live win predictor has Fiorentina as favourites (47.6%), with West Ham at 28.1% to win inside 90 minutes. There’s a 24.4% chance of extra time and potentially penalties.

Game on.

19:25: A “Middle of the Road Italian Team” according to Harry…

When interviewed earlier today, former West Ham player and manager Harry Redknapp seemed to suggest it should be a fairly routine win for the Hammers today. After all, Fiorentina are just a “middle of the road Italian team”…

Or are they? Well, not according to the Opta Power Rankings.

Fiorentina are actually ranked higher than West Ham in those, with the Italian side in 37th and West Ham seven places lower in 44th.

Maybe it won’t be so easy, Harry.

18:55: The Line-ups Are In!

The two big calls for West Ham boss David Moyes were in the full back positions. He’s gone for Vladimír Coufal and Emerson over Aaron Cresswell and Thilo Kehrer. Declan Rice starts as captain in what could potentially be his last appearance for West Ham. He’ll be looking to become just the second captain to lift a European trophy for the Hammers, after the late, great Bobby Moore.

West Ham UECL Lineup vs Fiorentina

The massive news in the Fiorentina XI is that 17-goal Arthur Cabral only makes the substitutes bench. The more creative Christian Kouamé – who is second in Fiorentina’s competitive assist rankings with 12 this season – makes the starting line-up, playing in a three-pronged attack alongside Luka Jovic and Nicolás González. As expected, midfielder Gaetano Castrovilli misses out for Fiorentina with a knee injury.

Fiorentina UECL Lineup vs West Ham

18:30: West Ham’s European Silverware

West Ham will be looking to pick up just their second piece of major European silverware, tonight.

Back in 1965, the Hammers won the now-defunct UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, defeating 1860 Munich in the final at Wembley Stadium in London. The hero that night was Alan Sealey, who scored both of West Ham’s goals in the 2-0 victory.

That West Ham side featured English greats Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst – all three would go on to lift the World Cup at the same stadium just 14 months later, with England defeating West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final.

West Ham had the opportunity to double their tally of major European titles in 1976, but they were defeated in another Cup Winners’ Cup final, this time losing 4-2 to Anderlecht in Brussels.

They have the chance again tonight – the first time they have reached a European cup final since. Should they win, they’ll join fellow English clubs Arsenal, Aston Villa and Leeds United on two major European titles.

West Ham Cup Winners Cup 1965
(Left to right) Alan Sealey, Bobby Moore and Martin Peters celebrate winning the 1965 Cup Winners’ Cup Final against 1860 Munich at Wembley.

17:50: The UECL Season So Far – Fiorentina

West Ham have reached the 2022-23 UECL final after entering the competition in the play-off round. They defeated Dutch club FC Twente 2-1 on aggregate to qualify for the competition proper.

Fiorentina made it through the group stage by qualifying in second position behind İstanbul Başakşehir, but ahead of Scottish side Hearts and Latvians RFS. This set them up with a knockout round play-off tie with SC Braga, who they defeated 7-2 over two legs.

In the round of 16, they defeated Sivasspor before knocking out Lech Poznań to set up a semi-final tie with Swiss giants Basel. After losing the first leg 2-1 in Florence, they won 3-1 in Switzerland in the most dramatic circumstances. A brace from Nicolás González sent the game to extra-time, before in the 10th minute of added time within ET, Antonín Barák scored the goal to send them to the final to face West Ham.

UECL Stat Leaders So Far (Excl. Qualifiers)

Goals: Arthur Cabral (seven)
Assists: Cristiano Biraghi (six)
Chances Created: Cristiano Biraghi (41)
Mins Played: Giacomo Bonaventura (968)

Barak Goal Fiorentina vs Basel
Antonín Barák celebrates his winning goal against Basel in the semi-final second leg.

17:45: The UECL Season So Far – West Ham United

West Ham have made it all the way to the 2022-23 UECL final after entering the competition in the play-off round. They dispatched of Danish club Viborg 6-1 on aggregate to qualify for the competition proper.

David Moyes’ side cruised through the group stage with six wins from six, defeating Anderlecht, Silkeborg and FCSB both home and away, before defeating AEK Larnaca and Gent in the knockout stages to set up a semi-final with Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar.

The Hammers defeated the Dutch club 2-1 at the London Stadium in the first leg, before a late Manuel Lanzini goal in the second leg sealed a 1-0 win in the Netherlands and sent them through to the final.

UECL Stat Leaders So Far (Excl. Qualifiers)

Goals: Michail Antonio (six)
Assists: Lucas Paquetá (three)
Chances Created: Vladimír Coufal (14)
Mins Played: Alphonse Aréola (1,080)

Lanzini Goal for West Ham vs AZ
West Ham players and fans celebrate Manuel Lanzini’s winning goal against AZ in the semi-final second leg in the Netherlands.

17:30: The Pre-Match Fiorentina vs West Ham Stats

• This will be the first ever head-to-head meeting between Fiorentina and West Ham United in a major European competition.

• Fiorentina have reached the final of a major European competition for the fifth time in their history and for the first time since the 1989-90 UEFA Cup (lost versus Juventus). Fiorentina have won just one of their previous four European finals, beating another British side, Rangers, in the 1961 Cup Winners’ Cup final.

• West Ham United will contest a major European final for the third time in their history, after the 1965 Cup Winners’ Cup (won vs. 1860 München) and the 1976 Cup Winners’ Cup (lost against Anderlecht).

• Fiorentina have lost just three of their previous 12 games against English sides in European competitions (W6 D3). However, they were eliminated by Tottenham in the 2015-16 UEFA Europa League Last 32, which was when they last faced an English opponent.

• West Ham have lost each of their previous two meetings with Italian sides in Europe, losing twice against Palermo in the 2006-07 UEFA Cup First Round (1-0 and 3-0).

• This will be the ninth instance of an Italian side facing an English side in the final of a major European competition, with each country’s clubs being crowned champions on four of the previous eight occasions.

• The final of a major European competition is being hosted in Czech Republic for the very first time – Chelsea and Bayern München contested the European Super Cup at Eden Aréna (now known as Fortuna Arena) in 2013, when the German side won in a penalty shootout.

• Fiorentina have scored 36 goals in 14 games in the UEFA Europa Conference League this season (2.6 per game), at least five more than any other side in European competitions this season (Man City are second with 31 goals in 12 games in the UCL). Moreover, The Viola have attempted the most shots (261) and registered the most shots on target (94) of any team in European competitions this term.

• Including qualifiers, West Ham United are unbeaten in all 14 games of their games in the UEFA Europa Conference League this season (W13 D1), having scored at least one goal in all 14 matches (33 in total). The last English side to have a longer unbeaten run in Europe was Chelsea in 2018-2019 (16 games).

• West Ham United have forced the most high turnovers (121) and attempted the most shots following high turnovers (26) of any team in the UEFA Europa Conference League this season. They are also the team with the most goals scored from fast breaks in the competition this term (3).

• Fiorentina’s Cristiano Biraghi has provided six assists in the UEFA Europa Conference League this season, the joint-most of any player in European competitions this term, alongside Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne. Biraghi is the first ever defender on record to provide six assists in a single European season (since 2006-07).

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