With time ticking away and their place in the fifth round secured, the travelling West Ham supporters began to serenade one of their heroes.
‘Paolo Di Canio, Paolo Di Canio’ they chanted, urging their team to summon the spirit of the maverick Italian when they visit Manchester United in the last 16 of the FA Cup.
Di Canio’s goal at Old Trafford in January 2001 secured one of the Hammers’ most memorable cup victories of modern times and though they lost the next four ties in this competition to United, they may be a little more optimistic this time, after goals from Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio secured a straightforward win over League One club Derby. That is three wins in four now for David Moyes’ team.
West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen opened the scoring from close range in the 10th minute
Manager David Moyes said he would love to take West Ham to the final of a cup competition
‘I would love to take West Ham to a Final – whether that be at Wembley or in the Europa Conference League,’ said Moyes. ‘It would be great. Maybe games like Old Trafford are the ones we need. We’ve got players who want to play on the big stage and there is none bigger than Old Trafford.
‘Let’s take them on and challenge them. It will be a tough game but why not? If you are going to get to a Cup Final you have to win games like that.’
The United-West Ham clash takes place in the week beginning February 28. The previous week, United take on Barcelona in the second leg of their Europa League play-off, before they will almost certainly contest the Carabao Cup Final. The weekend that follows the Hammers game, Erik ten Hag’s men take on Liverpool at Anfield.
West Ham’s priority, however, is Premier League survival. Their next three fixtures are against Newcastle, Chelsea and Tottenham and if those go badly, the pressure on Moyes will grow again. For now, though, he can celebrate the revival of last season’s star man.
Moyes admitted Bowen had been desperate to force his way into England’s World Cup squad, which had affected his form. Yet he now has three goals in his last two matches following a double in the win over Everton and with captain Declan Rice given a breather and named only among the substitutes, Bowen seized the chance to take a senior role here.
Antonio also made a telling contribution and though he has suggested he could leave the club this month, Moyes stressed again that West Ham have no interest in negotiating his sale.
Bowen stabbed in the Hammers’ opener from Tomas Soucek’s header at Pride Park
‘Money talks in football everywhere at the moment,’ said Moyes. ‘There are probably prices for every player but at the moment there is no price we are interested in taking for Mick.
‘Him getting a goal was huge as we have missed his goals, and Jarrod is just beginning to get the knack of scoring again. Jarrod has been a huge player for us for the last couple of years and the first four months of this season was probably his biggest dip for us.’
West Ham’s fight for survival is nothing compared to what Derby were facing last season, most of which they spent in administration. A year ago to the day, fans marched through the city before a 2-2 draw with Birmingham when the Rams’ future was clouded in uncertainty.
West Ham forward Michail Antonio headed home the second goal in the 50th minute
Mercifully, things have been much brighter since local property developer David Clowes took control of the club last summer, even though they are now in League One. Derby’s only defeat in their previous 19 matches was on penalties at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup and they are firmly in the hunt for promotion.
Moyes had made six changes to the team who began the 2-0 win over Everton that eased some of the pressure on him, while the home side kept faith with 10 of the 11 who won at Port Vale last week. Given that consistency in selection, it was no surprise Derby made the brighter start – though it was West Ham who soon moved ahead.
After Antonio’s first shot rebounded off Craig Forsyth, the ball was worked back to the Hammers forward, who hooked it into the path of Tomas Soucek. Soucek headed across to Bowen, who volleyed in from close range.
Antonio was left unmarked to score with a header from Bowen’s deflected cross
West Ham defender Thilo Kehrer, left, is challenged by Derby’s Tony Springett
Trailing by only one, Derby were still in the game, but their chances of a comeback were extinguished just four minutes after the restart. Curtis Davies found himself in a horrible tangle trying to cut out Pablo Fornals’ pass, and the ball fell perfectly for Bowen in the area.
Forsyth tried to intercept the cross but succeeded only in diverting it on to the head of Antonio, who directed it beyond Joe Wildsmith from inside the six-yard box.
‘I’m not sad about it,’ said Derby boss Paul Warne. ‘It was a year since the fans marched to save the club. The simple version is that West Ham are better but we gave everything we could and I am proud.’
Derby forward James Collins attempts an acrobatic effort on goal against West Ham