West Ham overturned a first-half deficit to beat Steaua Bucharest 3-1 as goals from Jarrod Bowen, Emerson and Michail Antonio proved decisive.
The crowd inside the London Stadium paid a moving tribute to Her Majesty Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 96, during a minute’s silence observed before West Ham’s first Europa Conference League tie of the new campaign.
The club said they shared the “deeply saddened” sentiment of the nation while offering condolences and sympathy to the Royal Family in a social media post prior to kick-off.
Poignant renditions of the national anthem continued to ring out around the stands despite Andrei Cordea’s 34th-minute opener, as the winger applied a slick finish to Darius Olaru’s low cross at the back post.
Second-half substitute Bowen reduced arrears from the penalty spot in the 68th minute, lifting the ball emphatically into the roof of the net, before Emerson edged the Hammers in front after latching onto a loose ball in the box and powering a shot beyond Stefan Tarnovanu.
Antonio rounded off the scoring seconds into stoppage time to secure victory for David Moyes’ side.
A number of sporting events scheduled for Friday have already been postponed as a mark of respect following Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, with further decisions regarding the weekend’s fixtures set to be taken on Friday.