West Ham United scraped away with a dramatic 2-2 draw against rock-bottom Burnley at the London Stadium, thanks to a last-minute volley from unlikely hero Danny Ings.
The Hammers faithful were left with mixed emotions – relief at salvaging a point, but also concern about a lethargic performance that needed a late rescue act.
The opening 45 minutes was a horror show for the Hammers. Burnley came into the game devoid of confidence, having failed to find the back of the net in a month, but they came out firing on all cylinders.
A wonder strike from David Datro Fofana and a cruel own goal by Konstantinos Mavropanos put the Clarets in a shocking 2-0 lead. The home crowd were left bewildered by the lack of fight and defensive frailties from the Hammers.
The first-half performance was disappointing, to say the least, but a couple of half-time tweaks proved the catalyst for a second-half revival that spared David Moyes’ blushes.
While goals from Lucas Paqueta and Ings provided a much-needed lift, the sluggishness that plagued the opening 45 minutes is a major cause for concern heading into the crucial second leg against Freiburg.
Coming off a hugely frustrating 1-0 defeat in Germany, the Burnley game wasn’t the ideal preparation for perhaps our most important match of the season.
We should have converted at least one of the three big chances we created in Freiburg, and that late penalty shout still feels like a missed opportunity.
But the second half against Burnley offered a glimmer of hope. The fightback showed what the Hammers are capable of when they turn up the intensity.
Now, we need that same fire, that same desire, for the full 90 minutes when the Germans come to London Stadium on Thursday.
Freiburg are no slouches, and we need to be on the front foot from the start to stand any chance of turning the tie on its head.