West Ham United will host Brentford at the London Stadium on Saturday, desperate to get their stuttering campaign back on track.
West Ham United have picked up just one win from their last six Premier League matches, and they will be desperate to turn things around vs Brentford on Saturday. The Hammers are 16th in the standings, and they are in real danger of going down this season.
It will be interesting to see if Graham Potter can help them bounce back strongly. The English tactician has a talented squad, and the home side should be performing better. The fans will be expecting a strong performance at home, and it will be interesting to see if the players can step up and deliver.
Meanwhile, Brentford are 11th in the Premier League table, and they have dropped out of the top half after a series of disappointing performances. The Bees have picked up just two wins from the last six Premier League matches, and they will be desperate to get things back on track with a win here.
West Ham have been quite inconsistent, and the visitors will fancy their chances here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two London sides.
Team News & Tactics
West Ham United
West Ham United will be without Michail Antonio, who is out for the foreseeable future after being in a car accident. Jean-Clair Todibo has a knock, Niclas Fullkrug has a thigh injury, and Crysencio Summerville misses out with a knock.
West Ham will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Brentford, with Alphonse Areola in goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Emerson Palmieri will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Max Kilman will form the central defensive partnership alongside Konstantinos Mavropanos.
As for the midfield unit, Guido Rodriguez will start alongside Carlos Soler in the double pivot. The two players will look to add defensive cover and control to the side from the deep. Lucas Paqueta will start as the attacking midfielder here, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his teammates.
Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus will add creativity and goals from the wide areas. Finally, Danny Ings will lead the line for West Ham United vs Brentford on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Mavropanos, Emerson; Rodriguez, Soler; Kudus, Paqueta, Bowen; Ings
Brentford
Brentford will be without Joshua Dasilva due to a knee injury, Gustavo Nunes due to a back injury, Rico Henry due to a knee injury, Aaron Hickey due to a thigh injury, and Igor Thiago with a knee injury. The away side will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Mark Flekken in goal.
Sepp van den Berg and Keane Lewis-Potter will start as the full-backs here. They will look to keep things tight at the back and help out in the final third. Nathan Collins will start alongside Ben Mee at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Vitaly Janelt will start alongside Christian Norgaard and Mikkel Damsgaard in the middle of the park. Janelt and Norgaard will help out defensively, while Damsgaard will add creativity and drive to the side. Kevin Schade will lead the line for Brentford vs West Ham United, with Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Flekken; van den Berg, Collins, Mee, Lewis-Potter; Janelt, Norgaard Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Schade, Wissa
Key Stats
- West Ham United have conceded at least two goals in five of their last six matches in the Premier League.
- Brentford have scored at least two goals in their last three away matches vs West Ham United in all competitions.
- 18 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
- West Ham have failed to win five of the last six Premier League matches.
- Brentford have failed to win four of the last six Premier League matches.
Player to Watch
Jarrod Bowen
The West Ham United attacker is our key player to watch out for. The Hammers will depend on him to step up and produce in the final third. They need his quality to find a way past the Brentford defence. The England International will look to create goalscoring opportunities and find the back of the net as well.
Bowen has done reasonably well this season despite West Ham United’s struggles and inconsistencies. So, the home team will depend on the Englishman to make a match-winning contribution in the final third.
Prediction
West Ham United 1-1 Brentford
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. This will be a closely contested affair, and neither team will want to end up on the losing side. They are likely to cancel each other out and share the spoils here. A draw seems like the most probable result.
Both West Ham United and Brentford have been quite disappointing in recent weeks, and they are struggling with a lack of form and confidence. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw between the two London sides.
