Match Report

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Premier League
Brentford 1-1 West Ham United 

Saturday, 28th September 2024
by Chris Wilkerson

Another scrappy performance saw West Ham pick up a fifth point of the season as Julen Lopetegui's side drew 1-1 at Brentford this Saturday afternoon.

After a horrible start that saw the home side take the lead inside a minute, The Hammers settled into the game and slowly improved to control much of the match, at least until Tomas Soucek poked home an equaliser and set up a tense final half hour.




Having taken a battering at Anfield in the League Cup midweek, the manager made three changes from the team that had been similarly humbled last weekend by a rampant Chelsea.

Antonio was back to lead the line, whilst Soucek returned. There was also a first Premier League start for Todibo. Summerville, Alvarez and Mavropanos missed out, and there was again no Fullkrug in the West Ham squad.

Brentford have already scored twice inside the opening 30 seconds this season, so there was no excuse for Lopetegui's side to be so surprised and shell-shocked as their hosts went direct from kick-off.

The Hammers had chances to clear, but failed them as The Bees bombed into the box and breached one of the weakest defences in the league so far this season.

The danger came when the long ball found Schade on the right side of the area. The winger was given time to dink a volley into the centre, where Todibo did well to wrestle away from his man and head on, only for Wan-Bissaka to be caught napping as he lost his man and saw the ball stabbed back into the middle.

There stood Bryan Mbeumo, alone, and he had the space to hit a volley at goal. It wasn't clean and bounced towards goal, but it had the direction and a lot of loop, which saw the ball drop down out of Areola's reach and into the corner to give the home side a lead after 37 seconds.

For a team that had conceded eight in the last two games, confidence was likely to be brittle, especially for a player like Todibo trying to settle into English football.

Whilst it's hard to ever say conceding an early goal is a good thing, it may actually have helped West Ham to settle and allow the defence to grow into the game without pressure.

That's because Brentford, having taken the lead, seemed happy to let West Ham have the ball, dropping quickly into their shape and allowing a team that has been consistently punished in transition this year to get time to play.

You could see why they would. The Hammers have been ponderous in possession this season and caught out by counters regularly, so the pace of Mbeumo, Lewis-Potter and Schade was bound to threaten.

The Hammers were as they have been for the majority of Lopetegui's games in charge. They now pass more, they now look like a team that wants possession. But the change from direct passing and being more of a counter attacking team to one that holds possession is causing problems. Ironically, they now play too slowly on the ball, clearly used to different spaces and different paces of play.




And so continued the chore of watching West Ham this season. It was a half that you couldn't really be angry at, but neither was there much to grab ahold of and cling to for hope. Possession was theirs, and they ended the half with 11 shots. Indeed, they were the better side after the chaotic opening minute, but the shots being taken now are low quality, both in the value of the chance and in how they are implemented.

There were moments for Kudus and Bowen, whilst nothing good happened without Paqueta's involvement, but the only real chance was one fluffed wide by Antonio.

What a curious opening to the season he is having. The striker looks way off the pace and half the player he had been for Moyes, yet that lone forward role has been erratic whoever has filled it. Whilst his work on the ball and even the runs he has made as a striker have failed to deliver, his mere presence is still making him a better option than Ings and Bowen, who just cannot be the physical nuisance that Antonio remains.

It was a shame he took the shot on, for Bowen was right there and has remained sharp around goal, even as he looks physically short after a busy summer.

With the ball stuck between a bundle of players outside the Brentford box, it was poked into the area for Antonio, who took it under control and had to reach for it to get a shot away. He dragged it weakly wide, but a bit of awareness and he could have left it for Bowen rushing towards him.

The best chance of the half came quickly after for Mbeumo.

Brentford's best route to goal was crosses, and they're not shy about that. They have players across the park who deliver wonderfully in the box, whether it's the wingers or central players like Damsgaard, and it was the Danish midfielder who peeled out to the right and whipped in a beautiful cross to the far postz

Mbeumo seemed to have found space once more in the box, and was only eight yards out as he dived to head the ball home, He looked set to score, but a long leg reached from behind him and flicked out ahead of him just before the ball made it to the Cameroonian international.

He didn't quite get a touch on the ball, but he might have got a boot to the Brentford man's nose. It was just enough to work, Mbeumo getting a little under the header and West Ham were let off.

The Hammers went into the break a goal down, a half that they had probably had the better of outside of one minute, but only one minute in the game had really mattered. Playing like this, they were never going to create the chances needed to win this game.




Once more, the manager used his break to make tactical and personnel changes. Two substitutes, and two shocks. First was that Kudus, a bright spark in the first half, was replaced Carlos Soler. The second was Emerson, who had taken a first half booking. His substitution was not particularly left-field, but his replacement wasn't expected. On came Mavropanos to play right back, moving Wan-Bissaka to left back. Soler went to the left wing.

This was a big call, and not one that was immediately popular. But arguably, this was the best bit of in-game management we have seen from Lopetegui. As he was brought in, he was seen as a manager who uses his bench much more than his predecessor. This was a smart move in the context of the game he was in.

The Greek defender isn't the smoothest or most consistent, and he has not played well this season. But Brentford were looking at crosses, especially from set-pieces, as their route to goal. With four centre backs coming up for corners and freekicks, let alone long throws, West Ham now had three centre backs of their own, supplemented by Tommy Soucek and the 6ft frame of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

It certainly made them more robust at the back, and it fitted what was a scrappy and physical game. Art was not going to win this match, grit and bottle were what The Hammers needed to stay in the fight, and a little quality could turn it in their favour.

In the end, it was a mix of all of that which got West Ham back on level terms.

It was Paqueta that brought the quality, unsurprisingly. This season, the Brazilian has been the creative spark, and whilst not playing anywhere near his best levels, he isn't sharing that load with anyone. There is not a single other player in that team capable of finding the passes like Paqueta.

And it was as much grit as genius that the Brazilian put into the goal.

With the ball loose on the left wing and West Ham forward, Paqueta used his body and was strong enough to regain the ball. He dragged it into the centre and played a dangerous pass into Bowen's feet on the edge of the box.

He quickly tried to exchange passes with Soucek , and the pair bundled it forward and into the box for Antonio. The forward was smart, using his strength to create space amidst a group of many, and then hit at goal.

His shot was poor, slicing off his boot and looping over the defenders in front of him, falling short of goal. Luckily for him and West Ham, Soucek had carried on moving forward into the area, and he reacted quickly enough to the loose, looping ball to match it as it dropped, prodding a boot at the ball and getting his side level with another crucial goal.




It woke Brentford up. The home side had sat on their lead since scoring, but now with 35 minutes to go and their lead gone, Thomas Frank's side were pushed forward.

Now they were getting wide and getting numbers ready for crosses. This is where Mavropanos' introduction really paid off, the big defender adding extra aerial power from right back.

This is where Todibo also stood up, with this maybe being the game that proves he can work in English football. Some centre backs struggle against the bombardment you can get in games like this in the Premier League, but the Frenchman stood up to it all, heading away anything he could. The three, Kilman included, shone for Lopetegui here when they were truly needed.

It helped that the hosts were without a striker. New boy Igor is injured, Toney is gone, and Mbeumo isn't the physical or aerial threat to worry a defence in a game like this.

With the home side on top, Lopetegui looked to help his side stay fresh, bringing on Summerville and Ings for Paqueta and Antonio. It didn't make a massive change, but the team lacked energy, and the pace of Summerville gave a threat.

The Dutch winger had half a chance after Bowen was too tired to run onto a Mavropanos flick that went over the defence, but after Soler retrieved and fed Summerville, his effort was blocked wide.

Any late drama was in the West Ham box. Cross after cross found nobody, but still The Bees had shouts for penalties in stoppage time.

The first was Pinnock, who went down in a tangle with Todibo. Replays showed the West Ham centre back was pulled on the arm first.

And then Janelt went down minutes later. Again the referee was unmoved, but this time replays could cause a worry. The replays did show contact, but it was contact initiated by the midfielder, bringing his leg down against Wan-Bissaka before the full back could even make a challenge.

Another goal would have been fair to neither side. It was not so much that nobody deserved to lose, this was not a quality game of football, more than neither deserved to win.

So, whilst an away point is not to be sniffed at, it's another performance that's hard to get behind, that fails to instil confidence in what this new manager is doing. Next up are Ipswich, and the manager really needs his first home points of the season.




Manager's Rating

Julen Lopetegui: 6/10 The Mavropanos substitute was inspired, both simple and clever. They also recovered from a goal down to draw, so hard to be too critical of his in-game management. But they were ponderous again, were easily pushed back once they scored, and should have been prepared for that start.

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Player Ratings

Alphonse Areola
Wasn't threatened much, very little to do.


Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Sloppy start, but recovered well and had another good half down the left. Clearly the most important full back at the club.


Emerson Palmieri
It looked like he remembered how badly Mbeumo tortured him in the past, and even with Schade as his main opponent, Emerson was unsettled and unimpressive.


Max Kilman
What a good defender he is. It will be a shock if Kilman doesn't end up Hammer of the Year, that's how much better his start of the season has been over others.


Jean Clair Todibo
Quite a start, but this was the game to convince the fanbase that Todibo is not Diop. The aerials and the physicality didn't seem to shake him and he stood up to it.


Guido Rodriguez
Slower than you'd like at times, but his positioning is good, and he's comfortable doing the ugly stuff.


Tomas Soucek
The height and ability in the air were important, but it's that knack he has of picking up goals that saved the day, once more.


Lucas Paqueta
Drifted in and out of the game at times, but credit goes to him on the goal. Not just the skill and composure, but determination and strength. He needs support, he's playing a creative game alone.


Michail Antonio
He didn't play so well, but his inclusion benefits the team. He's just capable of making space in a way others aren't, due to his strength. The space he made for his poor shot before the Soucek goal was just not being made by others.


Jarrod Bowen
Worked hard and his running was dangerous, but he's still not looking his best.


Mohammed Kudus
Was livelier than most in the first half, but it wasn't enough for the manager. He isn't as comfortable on the left and clearly finds it harder to get shots off how he likes down that channel.

Substitutes

Konstantinos Mavropanos
(Replaced Emerson, 46) Arguably his best performance, and certainly so this season. Seemed to have better options to pass to from there so didn't dally and panic. Won headers and never got exposed as a centre back out of position.


Carlos Soler
(Replaced Kudus, 46) Odd moments, but wasn't involved enough and had some sloppy losses of the ball.


Danny Ings
(Replaced Antonio, 75) Couldn't get into the game and didn't look like he made any position his own.


Crysencio Summerville
(Replaced Paqueta, 75) Tried hard and had a little threat, but never really made an impact.


Andy Irving
(Replaced Bowen, 90) No comments.


Lukasz Fabianski
Did not play.


Vladimir Coufal
Did not play.


Aaron Cresswell
Did not play.


Luis Guilherme
Did not play.

Match Facts

West Ham United: Alphonse Areola, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Emerson Palmieri, Max Kilman, Jean Clair Todibo, Guido Rodriguez, Tomas Soucek, Lucas Paqueta, Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus.

Goals: Tomas Soucek 54                  .

Booked: Emerson Palmieri 0 Max Kilman 0        .

Sent Off: None sent off.     .

Brentford: Flekken, Ajer, van den Berg, Pinnock, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Janelt, Damsgaard, Fabio Carvalho (Konak 85), Mbeumo, Schade (Yarmoliuk 60).

Subs not used: Vladimarsson, Trevitt, Roerslev, Mee, Meghmoa, Ji-Soo, Yogane.

Goals: Mbeumo (1).

Booked: Yarmoliuk, Lewis-Potter.

Sent off: None.

Referee: Simon Hooper.

Attendance: 17,050.

Man of the Match: Max Kilman.