This article is part of our Match of the Week series.
Matchweek 26 in the Premier League ended with a tilt between two London clubs, as Brentford traveled 12 miles to receive an embarrassing 4-2 defeat to West Ham. The Hammers split the points on the season after Brentford won 3-2 back in November. The Bees dropped two spots in the table and sit in 16th place, while West Ham moved up one spot after the victory, hopping Newcastle to take eighth place.
Starting XIs
Both teams made zero changes to their formation, as Brentford stuck with the same 3-5-2 they have used over the last 10 matches. West Ham kept the 4-2-3-1 they have used in almost every league match.
Brentford made three changes within the starting XI, highlighted by Neal Maupay coming in for Yoane Wissa. Mathias Jensen replaced Vitaly Janelt and Keane Lewis-Potter took the spot of Mads Roerslev on the right flank.
West Ham also made three changes, again swapping center-backs with Konstantinos Mavropanos replacing Nayef Aguerd. Tomas Soucek was back in the starting XI, as Kalvin Phillips was sidelined due to a suspension. Jarrod Bowen was allowed to move to a forward role as Lucas Paqueta made his return to the squad and starting XI, pushing Michail Antonio to the bench.
Match Notes
First Half
West Ham looked to get on the front foot straight away. David Moyes appeared to have abandoned his usual defensive set-up with the return of Paqueta to the XI. From the start, they closed down and were pressing once Brentford were on the ball in their half, looking to form a heavy counterattack but with a bit more intent than usual, creating the attack down the middle, then shifting out to the wingers hoping for a decent ball into the box.
Defensively, they stayed disciplined as expected, shaping the block right before the final third, making it difficult for Brentford to move any attack into the box. They still had trouble shifting back to defend a couple of times due to the high press to start the match, but that was dealt with by the defensive line of Mavropanos, Kurt Zouma, Emerson and Vladimir Coufal, as they combined for eight tackles, nine interceptions, 18 clearances and 18 duels won.
Brentford didn't change much even though, on paper, they were countered almost perfectly by what would be the Hammers' usual strategy. Thomas Frank kept his standard gegenpressing tactic, looking to press after a loss of possession or a heavy touch and then building up in a more controlled fashion, looking to create triangles for constant passing while using his midfield to control the game when moving forward. However, this would not develop well in the first half, with the team struggling to hold possession, allowing two early goals from two shots en route to just .14 xG.
The Bees looked shakier than normal, possibly due to the continued absence of Ethan Pinnock on the back line. They were constantly out of position and too tight in the middle of the pitch while allowing tons of space on the flanks for a tall Hammers squad that usually likes to attack using crosses into the box. They seemed to never be in their preferred defensive shape, allowing West Ham to keep the ball in their half and keep the possession from Brentford, contrary to what they can usually do in the backline.
This led to the first two goals with the Bees wing-backs getting caught out of position due to the press of West Ham and their inability to hold the ball, as Sergio Reguilon was beaten twice on the left flank, resulting in Bowen's goals in the fifth and seventh minute.
After the goals, West Ham returned to their more passive playstyle, allowing Brentford to hold a bit more possession and take the ball into their half, while the home side sat back deeper and formed a block near their box, making sure the Bees didn't find any crucial chances.
Brentford layed off their press a tad more in the attack and midfield, keeping their shape while still moving forward and avoiding any more of the quick West Ham attacks that led to the first two goals. They also looked to include more counterattacks, as their urgency to get one back was raised after going down.
Brentford eventually got a goal back due to a miscue by Zouma after he played a poor ball that was intercepted by Lewis-Potter, who passed to Maupay, who buried the ball into the back of the net.
The first half would simmer out after Maupay's goal with West Ham seeing a couple more chances despite the Bees holding most of the possession. Brentford ended with 57 percent of the first-half possession, but West Ham still won the battle, with three big chances, 13 shots and 1.13 xG. However, the biggest win of the half for the Hammers was holding Ivan Toney to zero shots.
Second Half
The second half kicked off similar to the way the first half finished, as both teams were unchanged tactically, with the only difference being Brentford's shift of passing, looking for more long balls to get down the flanks instead of creating passing triangles through the middle. This resulted in a couple more chances, but ultimately, West Ham struck first.
It was Bowen again, earning his hat trick and bagging the goal in the same fashion as the first two, as the ball came from a cross on the wing, to give West Ham a two-goal cushion. Brentford stalled out for a bit in the second half, as they once again seemed unable to get the ball out of their own half, with West Ham constantly winning back possession at midfield and resetting their attack.
Minutes after Bowen's third, Emerson added another, banging a goal from long range as he looked to put the game on ice. The goal was due to Brentford's struggles previously stated, as the ball was fumbled around their penalty box for a good three-to-four-minute period, giving no rest for the defenders to reset and find their shape again.
For the rest of the match, West Ham dropped back heavily, as most teams would do with a three-goal buffer, sitting almost everyone on their side of the pitch, with Bowen and the two outside attacking midfielders of Mohammed Kudus and Paqueta being the only three allowed to push forward.
That's where the Bees started to gain momentum, as they were allowed to play with the ball much more. They gave the Hammers a couple more scares and what looked to be a slight chance of a comeback, notching one big chance, 12 shots and 0.98 xG, which would lead to one more goal.
The last goal came as a consolation in the 82nd minute when substitute Yoane Wissa bagged a beautiful goal from the edge of the box to reduce the deficit. Brentford had two more decent chances on goal, but thanks to the heroics of Alphonse Areola, who registered five saves, the match would conclude 4-2.
From start to finish, the match always looked to be West Ham's, as Brentford didn't seem ready to play, pretty much throwing the game away after the two early blunders. The final stats appeared to show a much more even contest, as the Hammers finished with three big chances, 17 shots and 1.51 xG, compared to Brentford's two, 14 and 1.12, with Brentford also holding 59 percent of the possession.
However, the final result was far from even, with West Ham being the dominant force. If they could have kept more shape in their defense and not allowed access to the flanks so effortlessly, the match could've ended in a different result, but the noise of London Stadium and the relentlessness of a buoyed Hammers squad proved to be too much for the Bees.
Man of the Match
Bowen walks away with this award due to his masterful display, leading West Ham to a win with his first career Premier League hat trick. His clinical nature in front of net was on full display, as two of his three goals came from tough situations, scoring on all three of his shots while only compiling 0.64 xG. He also tallied a few playmaking stats, registering two passes into the final third and three duels won. The attacker continues to have his best season in the Premier League, notching 14 goals while assisting on two in 25 appearances.
Upcoming Fixtures
Brentford have no easy task ahead, as they face three teams in the top half of the league. Outside of a trip to Burnley, the schedule features three home matches, but they're against Chelsea, Manchester United and Brighton. And of course, the trip to Arsenal isn't expected to result in points.
West Ham's schedule starts a bit lighter with Everton and Burnley up next. They have their Europa League round of 16 games against Freiburg sprinkled in after each of those contests, adding to the miles on their legs. From there, matches against Aston Villa, Newcastle and Tottenham make for an interesting March.
Looking Ahead
Brentford's situation got a lot more hectic after Monday, as they now only find themselves two places and five points from the relegation zone following the loss. Everton's 10-point deduction being moved to six didn't help matters. Their main goal is to avoid relegation, hoping to stay in the top flight for a fourth straight season. They will also hope Ben Mee's injury is only minor , while also waiting for the return of Aaron Hickey and Pinnock to bolster their defense.
West Ham will hope the return of Paqueta will unlock more success after grabbing their first win of 2024, looking to possibly make a late push for a spot in European competition, now only eight points off of the Europa League spot. On the bright side, they have no injuries after gaining back Paqueta and will hope to keep the squad at full strength moving forward.
Matchweek 27 Preview
Next week, there is only one match to keep an eye on, and it's a big one, as Manchester City and United clash for the second installment of the Manchester derby this season. The Citizens continue their push to gain their fourth straight title, while the Red Devils will look to get back on track after losing against Fulham on Saturday.
