Michail Antonio makes extraordinary referee claim following West Ham's Europa League exit to Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen

Despite a valiant effort, West Ham fell short in their attempt to overcome the newly-crowned Bundesliga champions. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, but Bayer Leverkusen secured a 3-1 aggregate victory over the London club, dashing their hopes of advancing further in the competition. Following the final whistle, Antonio didn't hold back in his criticism of Spanish referee Jose Maria Sanchez and his assistants and went on to liken the match to playing against 14 men due to the perceived bias in officiating.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Antonio said: "It doesn't feel like you're playing against 11 men, it feels like you're playing against 13...14 including the two lines. You just have to keep pushing and try and make the decisions go your way. And they just weren't. We had to keep playing our way and keep being professional.

"I felt like I didn't get a decision all game. I felt a bit frustrated. We felt like we deserved more. But it's football, sometimes the decisions don't go your way. We move on, and build on that and try to get into the Europa League next year."

Sanchez's handling of the match drew widespread attention, with 11 players receiving bookings and one coach from each bench being sent off. Even West Ham's manager, David Moyes, voiced his dissatisfaction with the refereeing standards, questioning the fairness of the decisions made during the game.

"If that’s the way it is in Spain, you wouldn’t want to watch too much Spanish football," he said. “I have to say my players were brilliant tonight and I can’t fault their effort.”

Despite their disappointment in the Europa League, West Ham remains focused on securing European football qualification for the next season. Currently positioned eighth in the Premier League table, they are only two points behind seventh-placed Manchester United. They next face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday in the Premier League.