David Moyes bemoaned West Ham's failure to match Gent's physicality as they were made to settle for a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final.

West Ham headed to Belgium unbeaten in the competition this season, a record they protected on Thursday.

But it could have been so much better for the Hammers, who led through Danny Ings' opener with their first attempt on the stroke of half-time.

Rather than kick on in the second half, however, Moyes' side let Gent back into the game.

Hugo Cuypers equalised for the home side, and West Ham never looked comfortable defending against breakout star Gift Orban, who hit the crossbar with an overhead kick.

Moyes was forced to accept a draw was a reasonable result ahead of returning to London Stadium, but he was far from enthused with West Ham's performance.

They attempted only four shots, their fewest in a Conference League match, to 20 from Gent. Orban, with five attempts, outshot West Ham.

"A draw away from home in Europe, you would nearly always take that, but I expected a bit better tonight," Moyes told BT Sport.

"Nevertheless, it's a draw and still a good result and gives us a chance in the second leg."

Explaining why he was so unhappy, the manager continued: "I thought we didn't win enough first balls, enough second balls all night.

"It was nothing to do with tactical battles or anything else. It was more to do with the physical side, and we seemed to lose out tonight. That was disappointing."

Ings was similarly downbeat, adding: "It was nice to get a goal, but I'm still disappointed with the way we played tonight as a team."

Jarrod Bowen put the disappointment of missing out on England's latest squad behind him by scoring twice against AEK Larnaca to become West Ham's record European scorer.

David Moyes' men booked their place in Friday's Europa Conference League quarter-final draw with a 6-0 aggregate win over the Cypriot side.

Bowen, who earned all four of his caps last June, was not named in Gareth Southgate's squad earlier on Thursday for England's opening two Euro 2024 qualifying fixtures.

The 26-year-old was clearly not affected by that snub as he struck twice in as many minutes at the start of the second half against Larnaca at the London Stadium.

Gianluca Scamacca had earlier opened the scoring for West Ham and teenager Divin Mubama rounded off a 4-0 win on the day – West Ham's joint-biggest in Europe.

Bowen's tally of eight goals is two more than Johnny Byrne, David Cross and current team-mate Michail Antonio managed for the club in European competitions.

However, despite taking his goals tally for the season in all competitions to double figures, Bowen has no complaints over not being called up by Southgate.

"It's one of those things. These things take care of themselves," he told BT Sport. "I've done nothing to get in there.

"It's not about getting in squads, it's about playing my 'A' game, finishing strongly and going again next season. 

"I always want to score and goals have not been coming this season, but I accept that. I will always give my all for the club."

West Ham will be joined in the last eight by Anderlecht, AZ, Basel, Fiorentina, Gent, Lech Poznan and Nice.

It is the second year running they have reached the quarter-finals of a European competition, having done so in last season's Europa League.

"I'm really pleased," Moyes said. "It's not something that happens every year.

"I'm pleased for the players and the football club and delighted to say I've got to two [European] quarter-finals in two years."

West Ham manager David Moyes hopes he can emulate the success of "serial winner" Jose Mourinho in the Europa Conference League.

The Premier League team play the first leg of their last-16 tie with AEK Larnaca on Thursday, making the trip to Cyprus amid a tough domestic season.

Victory over the two legs would take West Ham to a second successive European quarter-final appearance, having reached the last four of the Europa League last term.

Ahead of the game, Moyes pushed back on the idea success in the continent's third-tier competition represents a step back, pointing to Mourinho's success with Roma in 2022 as something to aspire to.

"If you look at the amount of people in football, there's very few that get that big opportunity to [win trophies]," he said. "Jose Mourinho showed you how much [winning] cared to him because he is a serial winner.

"Last year, we wanted desperately to win the Europa League, but we couldn't quite get past the semi-final. We've got a job to do try and reach the quarter-final.

"If West Ham we're talking about being in two quarter-finals [in Europe] back-to-back, I think that would be seen as one hell of an achievement."

Roma became the inaugural winners of the Europa Conference League last term, with a 1-0 win over Feyenoord in the final in Tirana.

Moyes saw his side slip out of the FA Cup against old club Manchester United last week, meanwhile, and with his team locked in a relegation battle, the Scotsman knows European success is a major opportunity for his team.

"I'd love to win the competition," he added. "I'd love to get to the final. I'd love to keep progressing West Ham in Europe.

"Not for a minute do I underestimate or take any of it for granted, because we've got a tough game on our hands. We never know exactly how it's going to go."

Off the pitch, 2023 has offered plenty of excitement for Chelsea supporters. However, the same cannot really be said for the on-pitch fare being served up by Graham Potter's men this year.

The Blues' return of six points and three goals from six Premier League games since the turn of the year is hardly commensurate with their estimated £291million outlay in the January transfer window, and they need to turn a corner soon.

West Ham are in similar need of an upturn, with David Moyes' side just one point clear of danger and embroiled in a tense battle to beat the drop.

That means there is plenty at stake for both as Chelsea travel for Saturday's derby meeting with the Hammers, and there is certainly no love lost between the London rivals.

Stats Perform picks out the standout Opta numbers ahead of a game that both West Ham and Chelsea will hope marks a turning point in their disappointing seasons.

Chelsea bid to end goalscoring blues

Having followed up a 1-0 home victory over Crystal Palace with 0-0 draws against Liverpool and Fulham, Chelsea are looking to avoid making unwanted history on Saturday.

Chelsea could record three successive goalless draws for the first time in their league history next time out, with their plethora of big-money arrivals so far failing to click in the final third.

Last week's stalemate against Fulham represented the 17th goalless draw Potter has overseen since the start of his first Premier League campaign in 2019-20 – more than any other boss during that run.

Those hoping Chelsea's opponents step up to provide the entertainment may be disappointed. West Ham have underperformed their expected goals figures by almost 10 goals this season (18 goals from 27.9 xG) – the biggest negative difference in the Premier League this term.

Can Joao Felix lead the way?

Chelsea will hope the solution to their goalscoring issues is provided by Joao Felix's return to action, with the Portugal international eligible once again after last month's debut red card against Fulham led to a three-match ban.

Joao Felix has never scored more than 10 goals or contributed more than five assists during a single season for parent club Atletico Madrid, but there are signs he could evolve into a more prolific player at Chelsea.

The 23-year-old was averaging a goal involvement every 120 minutes for Atleti this season prior to being loaned out, his best figure since joining the Spanish giants in 2019.

Joao Felix also averaged a goal every 191 minutes for Rojiblancos this campaign, a ratio not bettered by any Chelsea player in the Premier League this term. 

Hammers chase rare derby delight

West Ham have not garnered much enjoyment from their recent meetings with cross-city rivals.

The Hammers have lost eight of their last 10 London derbies in the Premier League, the exceptions being a draw against Tottenham and a win over Fulham, though both of those results came this season.

However, West Ham have alternated between winning (four times) and not winning (D1 L2) in their last seven home Premier League games against Chelsea, and the teams' last meeting at the London Stadium saw Arthur Masuaku hit a late winner for the hosts in December 2021.

If that represents a negative omen for the hosts, Chelsea could be set to make history – victory would make the Blues the first team to win 150 London derbies in the Premier League. 

Late drama incoming?

No Premier League fixture can lay claim to containing the levels of late drama witnessed in meetings between these two teams.

There have been seven winning goals scored in the final five minutes of Premier League games between West Ham and Chelsea, more than in any other fixture in the competition's history.

The last three meetings between the teams have been settled by a goal scored in the final five minutes, with Kai Havertz doing the honours 88 minutes into September's return fixture at Stamford Bridge.

Christian Pulisic was the last-minute hero as the Blues also edged the previous clash last April, and given their recent shortcomings, the visitors will not mind if they are made to wait again on Saturday. 

Declan Rice will set a British record fee if he leaves West Ham at the end of the season, David Moyes believes.

The Hammers captain has long been linked with a move across London to Chelsea, while Arsenal have reportedly made the England international their prime target ahead of next season.

Chelsea recently set a new British transfer record with the deadline day captain of Enzo Fernandez, splashing a reported £107million on the Argentina World Cup winner, but Moyes does not expect that record to stand for long.

In fact, he believes a deal for Rice would not only surpass that figure but would "blow it out of the water".

"Undoubtedly Declan is going to be a top player. He'll be a British transfer record if he ever leaves West Ham," he told the BBC following West Ham's 1-1 draw against Newcastle United.

"There's a lot of talk about it and when you see what's going about for the prices, I think Dec will be blowing that out of the water, that's for sure, when it comes around."

Asked whether he felt an exit for Rice was inevitable, Moyes added: "I hope it's not. I hope he sees his time here."

Rice has 18 months remaining on his contract at the London Stadium, meaning a sale would be required next season to avoid losing him on a free transfer in 2024.

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri said a decision on Frank Lampard's future does not rest with him.

Moshiri, who has hired six permanent managers since he invested into the club in 2016, was in attendance as Everton lost 2-0 to West Ham on Saturday at London Stadium.

That marked an eighth defeat in nine games for Everton across all competitions, leaving them 19th in the table, level on points with last-placed Southampton.

Yet Moshiri, who publicly backed Lampard prior to a crunch defeat to Southampton last week, claimed a decision on the manager is not in his hands.

"I can't comment. It's not my decision," he told Sky Sports.

Bill Kenwright and the rest of the club's board watched on from the stands against West Ham, having not attended Goodison Park for the Southampton game due to concerns over their safety.

Kenwright, the Everton chairman, was also asked if time was up for Lampard.

"It's been a bad run of results for us all and for Frank," he said. "But I would never say that to you, ever.

"We've got to start winning, haven't we? Bad time."

Moshiri said in an interview with talkSPORT earlier this month he had previously made decisions on managerial appointments based on the wants of fans.

Lampard told Sky Sports: "Those things are not my choice; it's my job to work and focus and keep my head down. If they are difficult conditions, I just have to do my job."

When asked if he felt the support of Everton's hierarchy, he responded: "I know there are issues, I'm not trying to close my ears to anything. It's just about how you work, the support you feel, the communication, that sort of thing.

"We communicate all the time, we have done since I've been here. I try to do the best I can for the club."

Speaking in his post-match press conference, West Ham manager David Moyes, who spent 11 years at Everton and has been under pressure himself, said he hoped the Toffees stood by their boss.

"I hope Everton stick with Frank, I think he's a top bloke from my conversations and the times I've been with him," Moyes said.

"I would hate to think Everton would go down because they mean so much to me."

While Everton are yet to make a signing in January, Moyes thanked West Ham's board for the support they have shown him with the addition of Danny Ings, who made his debut off the bench.

"I've had brilliant support from the board and even buying Danny shows they want to do whatever they can to help," he added.

David Moyes is backing Danny Ings to fire West Ham to Premier League safety after signing the England-capped striker from Aston Villa.

The 30-year-old moves to the London Stadium for a reported initial £12million, rising to £15million if the Hammers avoid relegation.

Former Liverpool, Burnley and Southampton player Ings has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract, with manager Moyes optimistic he can bring goals.

Moyes, who is under pressure with his side in the relegation zone, saidl: "I'm really pleased to add Danny to the squad. He is a proven Premier League goalscorer and will add great competition for places in the attacking third.

"We're looking forward to integrating him into the group, as we go into a busy period in our season."

West Ham have scored just 15 goals in 19 Premier League games so far, winning only four times.

In 18 league appearances for Villa this season, just eight of which were as a starter, Ings managed six goals.

Ings, who has three England caps, told the Hammers' official website: "It's important I settle in as quickly as I can do – and do the important stuff on the pitch for West Ham."

West Ham face a massive showdown at home to Moyes' former club Everton, who are a place below them in the table, on Saturday.

It may sound bizarre in practically every way, but the Premier League resumes on Boxing Day following its mid-season World Cup break.

Barely eight days on from the World Cup final in Qatar, England's top flight returns with no one able to afford a sluggish resumption.

Of course, much has changed since Premier League teams were last in action in early November, and in one respect nowhere is that truer than at Arsenal.

Although top of the table, the Gunners are now without the man that many felt was key in transforming their fortunes this season, with Gabriel Jesus facing a significant spell on the sidelines due to injury.

Their season resumes at home to West Ham on Monday, with all eyes on how well they adapt without the Brazilian.

Boxing Day omens

The festive period is usually fairly unpredictable due to the sheer number of games teams have to play in December. The circumstances are obviously a little different this year.

With that in mind, most players should be fairly fresh, even considering those midweek EFL Cup exploits.

Perhaps then Arsenal will be even more confident of continuing their excellent record on Boxing Day, having last lost at home on December 26 in 1987. That is a run of 13 games without defeat – the last 10 of those were victories.

West Ham's recent record couldn't be much more different, having won just one of their past eight Boxing Day games – home or away – with a defeat of Swansea City in Wales six years ago the exception.

Does form matter?

If we rewind to early November, Arsenal were flying.

They won each of their previous nine Premier League home games before the season's break, with six of those wins coming this season.

Victory on Monday would equal their longest winning home run from the start of a top-flight campaign after also winning their first seven in 1934-35, 2005-06 and 2017-18.

Arsenal won their last three league matches, including at Chelsea and at Wolves, by an aggregate score of 8-0; they have not won four in a row without conceding since May 2014.

And to top it all off, West Ham lost each of their three most recent games to leave them with 11 away losses for the calendar year, last losing as many as 12 back in 2013.

But those respective runs and streaks were last added to roughly six weeks ago, so how much will they really count for? Certainly, for West Ham, the only way is up.

Gunned down

Hammers boss David Moyes has a generally dreadful record against the so-called top six.

It's become a bit of a feature in the Premier League, and Monday's trip to Arsenal puts his record back in the spotlight.

He has lost more away games against Arsenal in all competitions than he has any other opponent (17).

Further to that, he has only faced Chelsea (23 matches) on the road more often without ever winning than he has the Gunners (21).

Can Moyes finally end his Arsenal hoodoo?

Nketiah looks to answer the call

Jesus' absence for Arsenal is more than just about a goals output.

The Brazilian's haul of five in 14 Premier League games this term is hardly the stuff of legend, but he has offered so much to Arsenal's general play, bringing an ability to conjure something out of nothing and giving them a feisty edge in attack.

Eddie Nketiah will likely be the one to profit from Jesus' absence in terms of first-team minutes. The two players are significantly different, but the young Englishman might argue he will bring more of a goal threat.

In his previous 10 starts across all competitions at Emirates Stadium, Nketiah has scored 10 goals from just 15 shots on target.

Before this run, Nketiah netted only three goals in his first 10 home starts for Arsenal.

No one expects him to fully replace Jesus' influence, but helping the Gunners kick-start the season again with a positive impact against West Ham could be the reassurance some Arsenal fans need while awaiting the Brazil forward's return.

Whenever Manchester United come up against a team managed by David Moyes, it provides the perfect opportunity to look back on the Red Devils' rather turbulent recent history.

Moyes was, of course, the original successor to Alex Ferguson. The 'Chosen One', as the infamous banner read, and, to many, a harbinger of mediocrity.

That's slightly unfair on Moyes as although United won the title just before he ascended the Old Trafford hot seat, he was left with an aging squad that needed replenishing, plus the club's deep reverence for Ferguson ultimately stopped them moving with the times.

For years, Ferguson essentially operated as a head coach, recruitment director and sporting director rolled into one. The Scot was so effective and influential that, once he'd left, United were suddenly unprepared to meaningfully challenge the best teams.

This past year has arguably seen that gap reach its widest point in the Premier League era, with United posting their worst points total (58) since the competition's foundation in 1992 last season.

But in Erik ten Hag, United might finally have the right manager at the right time.

The succession

While United's woes of the short-lived Moyes era weren't just down to him, nothing over the past eight years has suggested the club was wrong to get rid of him in 2014.

Nevertheless, Moyes and every other post-Ferguson United manager had their strengths.

Moyes had an intimate knowledge of the league; Louis van Gaal brought a defined 'philosophy' and vast experience; Jose Mourinho had the name recognition and a track record of winning trophies; Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was already deified by supporters and his management style allowed players to be more expressive than under his pragmatic predecessor; Ralf Rangnick came in with 'club-building' expertise at a time when United's structure was spoken about as their biggest area of concern.

But none of them ever looked likely to be a long-term success for United. Obviously that was the hope for Moyes when he signed his five-year contract, though it quickly became apparent his personality was at odds with much of the team and his lack of tactical imagination made the side predictable, boring and ineffective.

Van Gaal did at least try to put a modern stamp on United, with his possession-based approach initially lauded upon his arrival after presiding over a fine World Cup campaign with the Netherlands. But again, the football was tedious to watch, with the Red Devils often accused of keeping possession for possession's sake rather than being able to work openings.

He's since been very critical of how United are run, perhaps casting light on why he was never quite right – maybe he would've been if there was a credible recruitment structure in place, but there wasn't.

Mourinho might argue recruitment issues were behind his downfall as well. Certainly, if you believe the media reports, United routinely missed out on players considered to be his primary targets.

But fans called his exit two years in advance. The prediction was that he'd be in charge for two seasons and then get the boot in his third, which of course came to pass.

Solskjaer arguably got the most freedom to build a team in his image, which was ironic given he was by far the least experienced of the managers to arrive after Ferguson. Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes and Jadon Sancho were all desired by the Norwegian and they duly arrived, but the manager's coaching methods were widely derided from outside the club with few players appearing to improve under his tutelage.

Then the Rangnick-led rebuild ended up being a red herring. Results and performances weren't much better than under Solskjaer, and while his honest appraisals of the club's structure were appreciated by fans, the hierarchy clearly felt differently and swiftly ended his two-year consultancy shortly after Ten Hag's appointment.

Ten Hag's impact

So, what's changed?

Well, in reality we're obviously only going to really know how much United have changed in terms of the general running of the club a few years down the line.

They do at least now have a genuine sporting structure. Granted, it was questioned in pre-season when Ten Hag came in and immediately started demanding players he knew or had previously coached, but all pre-season signings have at least looked encouraging.

As for Ten Hag's management, there have been plenty of examples of him avoiding the mistakes of his predecessors.

Like Van Gaal, Ten Hag has looked to implement a more possession-focused style of play, but this United seem to be playing more on the front foot when out of possession than the LVG vintage.

And yet, Ten Hag's shown the sort of adaptability the likes of Solskjaer and Mourinho were accused of failing to embrace. He's already ditched the insistence on playing out from the back with David de Gea after the Spaniard's struggles in their first two games of the season, while the experiment of playing Christian Eriksen in defensive midfield didn't last long either.

But, arguably most important of all, Ten Hag's shown he's not shy about making tough calls. He dropped Luke Shaw and captain Harry Maguire after two games, and his exclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo from the squad to face Chelsea last weekend after the striker's refusal to come on against Tottenham was a real show of conviction and leadership.

Ronaldo was welcomed back into the starting XI against Sheriff on Thursday, though, evidence of Ten Hag finding the balance between authority and forgiveness, areas that Solskjaer, Mourinho and Rangnick all seemed to fall short in in different ways.

Of course, results are key. While it's still too early to draw any major conclusions here because who's to say they don't lose every game between now and the World Cup, there have undoubtedly been positive signs with wins against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham. Even the draw at Chelsea was morale-boosting.

Crucially, United need to give Ten Hag time. If Solskjaer can be given three years, Ten Hag surely needs at least that long as well.

The first few months of his reign have certainly suggested United are on the right track with their latest 'Chosen One'.

Ben Johnson says West Ham will score when they need to after sealing their place in the Europa Conference League last-16 by beating Silkeborg 1-0 at London Stadium.

David Moyes' side sealed victory thanks to Manuel Lanzini's lone penalty in the capital, to maintain their unbeaten record in Group B this season.

But spurned chances elsewhere meant a surprisingly tight scoreline, with the Hammers having previously put three past the Danish outfit in the return fixture.

Johnson, however, is unconcerned by the narrow margins as long as he and his team-mates get the win, stating they will score when they need to.

"We won the game, we got the three points, we're through and we're top," he told BT Sport. "In the games where we need to put the ball in the net, I'm sure we will do."

Moyes was less enthused about wasted opportunities, though, suggesting his side needed to sharpen their calls on the field in order to yield greater returns.

"I thought we did enough to get two or three goals," he added. "I wouldn't put it simply down to poor finishing, but decisions in the final third more generally.

"We still had chances, and two or three players who probably should have got themselves a goal."

Jurgen Klopp expects to be on the Liverpool bench for the visit of West Ham on Wednesday, which is just where David Moyes wants him.

Hammers boss Moyes said he would want a fair fight at Anfield by being pitched head to head against the Liverpool boss, who is facing a touchline ban.

Klopp raged so hard at assistant referee Gary Beswick in Liverpool's 1-0 win against Manchester City on Sunday that he was sent off by Anthony Taylor.

He had been furious when no foul was given against Bernardo Silva for a challenge on Mohamed Salah, after finding fault with a number of earlier decisions.

According to Moyes, a former Everton boss, referees would do well to understand that managers "sometimes lose our heads here or there".

Moyes also said that Klopp had a strong argument in this case, adding: "I think if you look at the incident why he got angry, he was correct, wasn’t he?"

Klopp indicated the disciplinary process had barely begun when he spoke in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.

For that reason, he cannot see why he would not be at pitchside for the Premier League game.

"I think I will be there because there's nothing really happened yet," Klopp said. "But I don't think something will happen...a few hours before the game.

"I know where David is coming from. I still think I should have dealt differently with the situation, which I actually do usually.

"The whole game led to that maybe a little bit, the way it went. It was a very intense game with a lot of decisions the managers didn't understand, on both sides.

"This was then for me like, in Germany we would say one drop will let the bucket overflow. Does that make sense somehow? I'm not happy with my reaction, but that's the way it was. Everybody saw it.

"I was sitting after the game in the office of Anthony Taylor and spoke completely calm about the situations, how he saw the game and how I saw the game. It was a fair and calm discussion, but anyway that's the situation. I got the red card, and now we wait for the process pretty much."

Klopp compared the rising tensions in Sunday's game to the fiery London derby between Chelsea and Tottenham in August that finished 2-2 and ended with red cards for bosses Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte.

"No excuses," he added. "I don't use that as an excuse for me."

David Moyes professed his delight to see West Ham qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League knockout stages but warned his side the job is not yet done after a 2-1 victory over Anderlecht.

The Hammers saw off their Belgian Pro League rivals at London Stadium on Thursday thanks to goals from Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen, in a match marred late on by crowd trouble in the stands.

Victory further cements West Ham's place atop Group B with four wins from four, six points ahead of Danish outfit Silkeborg, who they face in a fortnight.

But with sides finishing in first place heading straight to the last-16, and runners-up having to settle for an additional play-off round with teams eliminated from the Europa League, Moyes cautioned there remains work to be done.

"I'm really pleased we've qualified for the next stage," he stated. "The big thing is to always be in Europe still after Christmas.

"[But] the form of Silkeborg at the moment looks a problem given the goals they're scoring, so we still need a point to be winners of the group.

"Hopefully we can do that but winning tonight was important. We deserved to win, but we made it much harder for ourselves than it should've been."

The final act in London - during which Anderlecht scored a late penalty to set up a tense last few minutes - was overshadowed by off-field events, with police required to keep supporters at bay.

Anderlecht subsequently criticised their own supporters in a statement after the full-time whistle, a move Moyes applauded, though the Scotsman was at pains to limit discussion on the matter.

"It's good for the press officer to stand up for the club," he added. "It's a big credit to them as they're a really good football club. They want to protect their own club and rightly so.

"Everyone's focus is taken away when there's crowd trouble in some way. I didn't have any interest in it as it's one of those things you don't want to talk about. I don't want to draw any more attention to it."

Thomas Tuchel claimed Reece James' development is "far from over" after the right-back signed a new long-term contract with Chelsea.

James has emerged as a key player in Tuchel's Chelsea side since he took over last January, driving forward from a wing-back role or filling in on the right of the German's favoured three-man backline, and has made five Premier League appearances this season.

The England international penned a new five-year contract with the Blues on Monday, which reportedly makes him the highest-paid defender in their history. 

Speaking ahead of Chelsea's Champions League opener with Dinamo Zagreb, Tuchel expressed his delight at the Blues' ability to tie down one of their prized assets.

"Of course, he's a very decisive player for us and he's an academy player, and we told you many times how important he is," Tuchel said.

"I think his development is far from over, there's a lot to learn for him and there's a lot to come,

"But of course, we're happy to have a key player with us for so many years."

On the domestic front, Chelsea have claimed 10 points from their first six Premier League outings, which have contained a series of controversial decisions.

Last month, the decision to allow two contentious Tottenham goals in a fiery 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge led Tuchel to declare referee Anthony Taylor should no longer officiate Chelsea's games, comments which saw him fined by the Football Association (FA).

On Saturday, meanwhile, West Ham had a potential last-gasp equaliser against the Blues denied by a VAR review after a collision between Edouard Mendy and Jarrod Bowen, a decision David Moyes described as "scandalous" as he accused Mendy of feigning injury.

Asked to comment on the plethora of perceived mistakes made in recent weeks, Tuchel asked: "What can I say now to be clear and not pay a fine again? Where is the line? 

"Maybe it's better if other people talk about it, our last three home games were like… I don't need that anymore. Red cards, VAR decisions, goals given, decisions not taken where it's obvious to take them.

"Speaking about the last game, I understand the frustration, I understand the discussions about this decision. For me, it's not a 100 per cent decision. It was against Tottenham, it was not now.

"I was happy that the referee got the chance to have a review on the pitch and then it is his decision, we will never have a game without mistakes but at least he gave everyone the feeling that he took the decision.

"I understand the frustration, now it's maybe not on me to comment on it too much but I think the quality of the mistakes, nobody is happy with that."

Pressed on Moyes' comments about Mendy, Tuchel highlighted the FA's refusal to punish the Irons boss, adding: "I did not hear the accusations and you know what happened to me when I spoke about the referee… it was pretty expensive.

"I told you after that I will not comment anymore. I can understand his frustrations, his point of view, and we'll leave it there."

Chelsea have been inconsistent throughout the season's early weeks, and Tuchel believes Tuesday's trip to Zagreb is an ideal opportunity for the Blues to kick-start their campaign.

"We are ourselves in a moment where we need to improve. We are not fully happy with the results," he said.

"We are not fully happy with our performances, so we need to take the next step and it's Champions League so it's very exciting. 

"We are very aware of what the challenge is, to play the first match away in a group stage is always difficult, it can always end up in complicated situations, but I think it's very important that we accept it and play a humble match.

"We will accept the challenge and we will accept the fight, and then we can also have the belief and trust that we are able to win, but we need to perform, for sure."

David Moyes railed against a "scandalous" VAR decision after West Ham were denied a dramatic equaliser in a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea, though Thomas Tuchel agreed with the call to disallow Maxwel Cornet's late strike.

Chelsea were staring at back-to-back defeats when Michail Antonio gave West Ham a second-half lead at Stamford Bridge, but Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz stepped off the bench to turn the contest around with a goal apiece.  

The drama was not done there, however, as Hammers substitute Cornet had a fine right-footed effort chalked off after Jarrod Bowen was adjudged to have fouled Eduoard Mendy at the death. 

Moyes has now failed to win in 18 Premier League trips to Chelsea – the joint-longest winless streak managed by any coach at a single team in the competition (also Moyes at Arsenal).

The West Ham boss was furious with the decision and accused Mendy of feigning injury after the incident, declaring: "You have seen it, it is a scandalous decision.

"It's absolutely rotten from one of the supposedly elite referees - it doesn't say much about whoever sent him over from VAR as well - it is an unbelievable decision against us.

"We feel we got back to 2-2 and it [the loss] was not down to anything we have done. I support a lot of the VAR stuff.

"I actually think the goalkeeper dives, he is faking an injury because he cannot get to the next one, he did the same on the first goal as well. The referee somehow gets that so wrong it is incredible."

West Ham midfielder Declan Rice also made his displeasure clear on social media after the match, tweeting: "That's up there with one of the worst VAR decisions made since it's come into the game. Shambles."

But Moyes' counterpart Tuchel backed Andy Madley's decision to overturn the goal, telling the BBC: "The momentum of luck is always present, you can never plan things, you can never be sure in a league like this, anything can be turned upside down in any second.

"We were lucky today to get the VAR decision in our favour, which was for me the correct decision. But as we have discussed many times, the decisions don't always go your way."

Chelsea came back to win a Premier League match after conceding the game's first goal after the break for the first time since January 2009 (2-1 v Stoke City), and Tuchel was delighted with the Blues' response after they were beaten at Southampton on Tuesday.

"We wanted to restart the season, turn the game around and keep the three points here," he added.

"I never see a spectacular game against them. It's so, so hard to find spaces, to create spaces, to create chances. They defend deep, they defend with bodies, discipline and physicality.

"It's so, so hard to find a consistent rhythm, and if you lack a little bit of belief like we do, it's even harder. Then you go 1-0 down, this is almost impossible.

"To keep believing is very important, and to get the opener from the bench from Chilwell, and then from Kai the decisive goal, is so good.

"We wanted to define ourselves as a team who play with team spirit and to have a huge influence from the bench, which he had today, so full credit.

"I think it's also down to the situation that the transfer window is closed, now everybody knows that he is in the group, and we need to set the standards again.

"One of the standards was to toughen up and not be soft, to block shots, to give everything to defend our goal. We need to improve consistently and this is not over."

David Moyes is targeting another strong continental run after guiding West Ham to the Europa Conference League group stages with victory over Viborg.

The Hammers booked their place in Friday's draw after a 3-0 win at the Viborg Stadion rounded off a comprehensive 6-1 aggregate success over the Danish side. 

Gianluca Scamacca got the ball rolling for David Moyes' side in the second leg, while Said Benrahma and Tomas Soucek were also on target after the break to seal the deal.

West Ham enjoyed a marvellous run to the Europa League semi-finals last season, before losing out to eventual champions Eintracht Frankfurt.

Speaking to the media after Thursday's result, Moyes is hoping his squad can enjoy a similarly deep venture this time around.

"It is a special thing being in Europe, and what makes it really special is that you don’t get it very often," he told the club's official website.

"You can sometimes find people who treat it with a bit of disrespect, but I wanted to make sure we treat it with great respect because I want us to try and do well and compete it in.

"Now, we've got another period of European football and playing games in places we've maybe not done before, so we look forward to it.

"We tried really hard last year and we had a great run in it, and now we'll obviously try and do the same in this competition."

Scamacca and Pablo Fornals also highlighted the importance of grasping the opportunity to ensure another campaign of continental football at the London Stadium.

"We want to be in the Europa Conference League, so it was so important to win," the Italy international said.

"Everyone want to play in the European competitions, so it was a big night for us and we will give 100 per cent to go as far as possible."

Fornals added: "It's massive for us to be in the group stage. We're fighting every year to get European football for our people, and we couldn't miss this opportunity."