Lukasz Fabianski, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio were the only bright sparks for a sub-par West Ham United, who were beaten 2-1 by Brentford on Sunday.
Brentford were the brighter of the two sides in the initial exchanges and could have taken the lead early on if not for some solid goalkeeping by Lukasz Fabianski. However, despite his brilliance, the West Ham United no. 1 could not do anything to keep out Bryan Mbuemo, who scored from a rebound midway through the first half after he saved an effort by Sergi Canos.
Fabianski had just about kept out Mbuemo’s close range shot as well, only for the ball to trickle just over the line. The goal then awoke West Ham from their slumber and the hosts then saw most of the action thereafter till Jarrod Bowen equalised with a fine finish in the 80th minute.
However, Brentford had the last laugh as Yoane Wissa netted home with a thumping finish from the edge of the box after Fabianski had saved an initial effort by Pontus Jansson. The result means West Ham have lost their second game of the season in the Premier League, with Brentford leapfrogging them in the standings.
Lukasz Fabianski: 7/10
The clear standout performer at the back for West Ham, Fabianski made some blinder of saves to ensure Brentford did not run away with this game as the front men appeared to be sluggish. But he was extremely unlucky to concede goals immediately after making key saves, which essentially took him out of the game.
Vladimir Coufal: 5/10
Passed fit enough to start, but judging by his performance on the day, it looks like Coufal was still showing some effects of the calf injury that had been bothering him in the week. Did not look too bright in the final third as he usually does and only completed 55 percent of his passes, losing the ball a staggering 29 times. Worse still, he was susceptible at the back, which is a true rarity.
Kurt Zouma: 4/10
The Player to Watch in our preview, Zouma needed to take ownership of keeping the defensive line organised. However, the Frenchman was caught out in the moment leading up to the opening goal while a 70 percent pass completion rate hardly helped matters. Needs to do better.
Angelo Ogbonna: 4/10
Ogbonna has been nearly imperious for West Ham so far this season. However, the performance on Sunday was shoddy at best, with the pace and guile of Ivan Toney leaving him annoyed on several occasions. Did win 11 duels but also faced a few nervy moments while he, too, was far from reliable on the ball, which piled on the pressure on the hosts.
Aaron Cresswell: 6/10
Like the rest of the defenders, Cresswell suffered a few hairy moments in the defensive phases of the game. However, the Englishman gets a better rating owing to his exploits in the final third, with his set-piece deliveries, in particular, carying a fair bit of threat. Indeed, that was a key factor when a dangerous looking corner found its way to Jarrod Bowen ahead of the equaliser.
Tomas Soucek: 5/10
Soucek has blown hot and cold at an alarming rate this season, and his inconsistencies continued on Sunday. The Czech midfielder did play a couple of key passes but could not really cope with the relentless pressing from Brentford. Did play a couple of key passes but did not provide an imposing presence in the Brentford box.
Declan Rice: 6/10
Like his midfield partner, Rice came under a lot of pressure from Brentford’s pressing. However, the West Ham skipper still persevered and was critical in ensuring his side was in control for large parts of the game, especially in the minutes leading up to Bowen’s equaliser. Still, there is a whole lot that he can do but was not allowed to by Brentford.
Jarrod Bowen: 7/10
Bowen is the last of the West Ham attackers to come to the party, but he is finally here. On Sunday, the 24-year-old was a bright spark from the right flank and tried his hardest to carve the openings. The equaliser came with a peach of a finish, as he scored from a half volley around a bevy of Brentford defenders.
#WHUBRE
West Ham [1]-1 Brentford | GOAL! Bowen ?to never miss any goal Follow here ?@IFAST66 pic.twitter.com/PJV3MQVbqH
— Follow @IFAST66 (@ifast222) October 3, 2021
Said Benrahma: 6/10
The spotlight was on Benrahma in his first game against former side Brentford since joining West Ham. And the Algerian playmaker flitted in and out of the game, with the Bees’ pressing leaving him in some trouble at times. Still, he did make some impact with his movement, although the visitors stood strong.
Pablo Fornals: 6/10
A game of two halves for Fornals, who was nowhere to be seen in a first half that was largely dominated by Brentford. However, the Spaniard grew into the game post the interval, linking up with his teammates better as the minutes wore on, although it was still not good enough to get a win.
Michail Antonio: 7/10
Antonio might not have a goal or an assist to show for his efforts, but he was a big reason why West Ham still remained in the game with the odd half chance, showing some fine movement and touches when everyone else looked down and out. Played a game-high four key passes as well, but could not manage to get an assist from any of those efforts.
