Forget Rice: West Ham bully who won 12 duels was a "complete monster" vs Sevilla - opinion

When West Ham United left the Boleyn Ground for what was formally known as the Olympic Stadium, GSB had promised a greater future for the Hammers.

However, after moving into their home, the team appeared to be reduced to rubble, resembling that of their old stadium at Upton Park.

They were down at the foot of the table and battling relegation until David Moyes’ rescue act.

The job he has done in east London is nothing short of miraculous, transforming West Ham from a rather mediocre outfit into one that now fancies themselves against any side in Europe.

Time and time again this group of players finds a way to tear up the script and indeed, this was perhaps the best moment in the club’s history since moving stadiums.

Speaking at full-time, Michail Antonio could barely contain his excitement, exclaiming: “The only atmosphere close to this was the last day at the Boleyn Ground.”

With that in mind, the club’s 2-0 win over Sevilla on Thursday evening was clearly a very special occasion. They never gave up, once again defying the doubters to reach the last eight of the Europa League.

They now have a wonderful chance of going all the way, writing themselves into European folklore in the process.

There are a number of players who the fans will owe gratitude after Thursday night. Tomas Soucek and Andriy Yarmolenko scored the important goals but Declan Rice ran the show in the middle of the park.

Yet, this result would not have come about without Antonio. The bullish forward has only found the net once in his last 13 outings but he was absolutely sensational against the Spanish side.

Previously labelled as a “complete monster” by journalist Paul Brown, the Jamaica international certainly lived up to that tag in midweek.

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