Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney wreaked havoc as West Ham United slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Brentford on Sunday.
West Ham faced a major blow to their top-four aspirations after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Brentford on Sunday. It was a disappointing result for David Moyes’s men, who remain in sixth after failing to take advantage of dropped points from Arsenal and Manchester United.
Coming on the back of a strenuous draw with Lyon earlier in the week, West Ham lacked the usual determination going forward. It was more of a cagey affair, especially in the first half as neither side was quite able to make a difference in the final third, drawing goalless at half-time.
In the second half, Brentford looked a bit more adventurous going forward. They were rewarded for their early pressure as well, with a brilliant link-up play leading to Bryan Mbeumo’s opener in the 48th minute, assisted by Ivan Toney.
Toney and Mbeumo were in the thick of things once again when Brentford doubled their lead in the 64th minute. In response, West Ham offered very little threat in the attack, mustering a grand total of just one shot on target in the entire game. Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the West Ham players in their disappointing defeat to Brentford this past weekend.
Lukasz Fabianski: 6.5/10
Lukasz Fabianski had a busy game as Brentford offered some serious threat going forward. He had to remain alert throughout the ninety minutes. The veteran shot-stopper will be a bit disappointed to have conceded the first goal, but he made some good saves to keep his team in the contest.
Vladimir Coufal: 6/10
Vladimir Coufal had a few nervy moments in defence. He did not look as confident dealing with the Brentford attackers, notably allowing the opposition enough time and space to produce a cross from the right flank, a move that led to the second goal of the evening.
Craig Dawson: 6.5/10
Craig Dawson had picked up an early knock. But the defender soldiered on to help West Ham remain in the fight. His defensive work ethic was immense, while the defender played a key role in spearheading the backline, especially after Kurt Zouma’s injury.
Kurt Zouma: 6/10
Kurt Zouma’s night was cut short when a tackle from Christian Norgaard forced him to limp off the field. He was eventually subbed off just before the hour-mark. West Ham fans will hope it is not too serious, especially at this crucial juncture of a season.
Halftime thoughts. Zouma injury a worry. Hopefully mostly precaution. We need a player like Erickson We need a player to unlock other teams. Need to take over midfield 2nd half If we want anything from this. Sone players just off the boil #COYI
— Lena Starr WHU ⚒♥️ (@LenaWHU) April 10, 2022
Aaron Cresswell: 5/10
Aaron Cresswell struggled defensively and was pretty much the weak point of the West Ham backline. It was evident in the first goal as he allowed Mbeumo to run through the heart of the West Ham defence rather easily to score the opener. His lack of authority in defence made it easier for the opposition to run rings around the Hammers.
Tomas Soucek: 5/10
Tomas Soucek had a slightly underwhelming evening in the middle of the park. He could not impose his authority and had struggles dealing with Brentford’s second line of press. Very little impact overall.
Declan Rice: 6.5/10
Declan Rice never seems to disappoint, even when West Ham are performing poorly. This Brentford game was no exception as the Englishman defended admirably while looking quite assured in possession. The club must do everything it can to keep hold of Rice in the coming summer.
Jarrod Bowen: 5/10
Jarrod Bowen was one of the many West Ham stars to fail to make an impression against Brentford. The winger did not look as confident taking on players and the spark in his game was missing, as the Bees remained organised throughout the ninety minutes.
Add Jarrod Bowen to the list of attackers Rico Henry has completely nullified and pocketed this season.
Can’t believe he didn’t get an England call-up during the international break. Should be going to the Nations League if he keeps his form up until the end of the season. pic.twitter.com/V411PYr88e
— Uzzi Majid (@UzziMajid) April 10, 2022
Manuel Lanzini: 5/10
It was surprising to see Manuel Lanzini starting this game. Quite unsurprisingly, the Argentine failed to perform as well, offering very little creativity in the final third. He was unable to break the shackles of the Brentford backline and was subbed off around the hour mark.
Pablo Fornals: 6.5/10
Pablo Fornals looked quite promising for West Ham, especially when dribbling out of tight spaces or releasing balls in behind. But the consistency was missing in his game, leading to a lack of productivity in the final third.
Michail Antonio: 4/10
Michail Antonio could not make much of an impact in the number nine slot. He was devoid of service, while the attacker was also unable to utilise his physical and aerial prowess up against three Brentford centre-backs.
What is actually wrong with Antonio like genuine question
— L⚒ (@LFabianski1) April 10, 2022
SUBSTITUTES
Issa Diop: 5/10
Issa Diop replaced the injured Zouma around the half-hour mark. He did not look as comfortable in dealing with the Brentford attackers, ultimately conceding a couple of goals in the second half. He was caught ball-watching way too often.
Said Benrahma: 5/10
Said Benrahma tried to make things happen in the final third. But he was quite frustrated by the Brentford defenders and had to resort to a couple of long-range efforts.
Nikola Vlasic: 5/10
Nikola Vlasic did not add anything to the table after coming on for Antonio in the 66th minute.
