Outlasting two prime ministers: How did West Ham reach the Europa Conference League final?

West Ham United face Italian side Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final in Prague on Wednesday night. The Hammers are bidding to win a first major trophy since the FA Cup in 1980. Here, we look back at their route to the final. Qualifying round West Ham’s journey to Prague began on August 18, three Prime Ministers ago, with a home meeting against Danish minnows Viborg. New Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio scored in a 3-1 first-leg win. Scamacca was on target again, along with Said Benrahma and Tomas Soucek, in the away leg to secure a comprehensive 6-1 aggregate victory. Group stage The Hammers were drawn with Romanian side FCSB, Belgium’s Anderlecht and Silkeborg of Denmark in Group B. They fell behind to FCSB at home in their first match but goals from Bowen, Emerson Palmieri and Antonio earned a 3-1 win and David Moyes’ side went on to breeze into the knockout stages with six wins out of six. Last 16 The travelling fans were rewarded with a trip to sunny Cyprus and a tie against AEK Larnaca. West Ham were struggling domestically, having just been knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United and thumped 4-0 at Brighton in the Premier League, but Antonio’s double settled the away leg and a brace from Bowen helped them to a 4-0 win at home, and 6-0 on aggregate, to keep the European adventure going. Quarter-final Next up were another Belgian outfit, Gent, and for the first time in the competition West Ham failed to register a victory, with Danny Ings on target in a 1-1 away draw. But despite conceding an early goal, the home leg was comfortable thanks to another Antonio double, Lucas Paqueta’s penalty and a stunning solo goal from captain Declan Rice to wrap up a 4-1 win. Semi-final Dutch dark horses AZ Alkmaar would be no pushovers in the last four having already accounted for Lazio and Anderlecht. West Ham fell behind at the London Stadium to Tijani Reijnders’ first-half goal but Said Benrahma’s penalty and Antonio’s scrambled effort secured a 2-1 win. In an edgy second leg, Pablo Fornals raced through to score the only goal in stoppage time to inflict AZ’s first European defeat in 26 matches and send the Hammers through. Read More Football says goodbye to Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Monday’s sporting social Golf and water parks can help West Ham to European glory, says Thilo Kehrer West Ham walk off pitch after alleged racial abuse in seven-a-side tournament Leicester’s unexpected twist provides reminder of football’s new reality Izzy Christiansen calls it a day – Thursday’s sporting social Tottenham appoint ‘attacking’ Ange Postecoglou as new manager