West Ham vs Brentford: Match Previews, Predictions & Betting Tips

Brentford make the short trip across London to take on West Ham at the London Stadium. A win would be huge for either side as they look to end their recent struggles.

Date: 26/02/24

Kick-off time: 20:00

Venue: London Stadium

Monday Night Football showcases a London derby between West Ham and Brentford, with both teams hopeful of picking up three points to turn around some bad form. The Hammers, in particular, are enduring a torrid run, losing three in a row in which they failed to score a single goal. This includes a crushing 6-0 defeat at home to Arsenal. They are also winless in eight games in all competitions.

David Moyes’ side had been sitting in the top six of the table, but have since slid down to ninth following their recent losses. The pressure is growing on the manager, but he and his side have a good opportunity to get back on track with a game at home.

Brentford, in contrast, are cautiously looking over the shoulders at the teams below them, as they are just six points above the relegation zone. Recent defeats to Liverpool, Man City (twice) and Tottenham has meant the sides around them have been able to drag them into a potential relegation battle. A victory against West Ham would give them some much-needed breathing room, but a loss would plunge them into deeper trouble.

The hosts have conceded 11 goals in their last three, so the Bees will be confident of getting on the scoresheet. It will likely come through Ivan Toney or Neal Maupay who have scored a combined seven goals in the six games since Toney’s return.

Since Brentford were promoted in 2021, the two sides have faced off five times in the Premier League, with a further meeting in the FA Cup, which was won by West Ham. Thomas Frank’s side have dominated their opponents in the top flight, winning all five games against them. In these fixtures, they have scored 11 goals and conceded just three, so they will be hoping to continue this excellent run of results.

They met in the reverse fixture at the beginning of November, which Brentford won 3-2. Both teams held a lead throughout the game, but the home side came out on top thanks to a Nathan Collins winner with just over 20 minutes to go.

West Ham

Kalvin Phillips will miss this game through suspension after he was sent off for two yellow cards against Nottingham Forest last weekend. Lucas Paqueta has missed the last six games with injury but is hopeful of a return.

Brentford

Aaron Hickey and Kevin Schade may return from long-term injuries. Bryan Mbeumo, Ethan Pinnock and Rico Henry remain out.

West Ham

In their last five games, West Ham have lost three and drawn two. The Hammers are in a terrible run of form, with three consecutive defeats, which has seen them slide down the table. They began this stretch with two draws with Sheffield United and Bournemouth.

The three losses have come in concerning fashion, with them convincingly beaten in all three, conceding 11 and scoring zero. It started with a trip to Old Trafford in which they were defeated 3-0. Rasmus Hojlund opened the scoring, before Alejandro Garnacho added a second-half brace. They followed up this result with their worst performance of the season, as they were crushed 6-0 at home to Arsenal. The Gunners dominated early on but did not score until the 32nd minute through William Saliba. However, once the first went in, the floodgates opened. Bukayo Saka doubled the score with a penalty, and Gabriel Magalhaes tripled it three minutes later. David Moyes’ side were 4-0 down at the break as Leandro Trossard scored another in stoppage time. Many fans left the ground at half-time, but the ones who did stay witnessed two more go in. Saka netted his brace, then former Hammer Declan Rice bagged a stunner on his first return to the club he had called home for the majority of his career.

Unable to put this performance behind them, they fell 2-0 at Nottingham Forest in their most recent game. Taiwo Awoniyi put the hosts a goal up in the fifth minute of first-half stoppage time, and Callum Hudson-Odoi found the net in the 94th. Kalvin Phillips also saw red for two yellow cards.

Brentford

In their last six games, Brentford have won two and lost four. The Bees have been very inconsistent as of late, and it has left them concerned about being dragged into a relegation battle.

The most recent game saw them host Liverpool, but they were no match for the league leaders as they were defeated 4-1. It took the Reds over half an hour to break the deadlock, but they were very comfortable. They were 3-0 up by 70 minutes, though Ivan Toney scored to set up a potential comeback. They did not come close though, as Cody Gakpo put the game to bed soon after.

It followed a victory against Wolves, a 2-0 result which Thomas Frank hoped would have given them some momentum. Christian Norgaard and Toney scored the goals. A pair of defeats against Man City and Tottenham were expected, though thoroughly disappointing given they had taken the lead in both games.

Toney’s return has given them a boost, even if it hasn’t come with the results. His first game back was a 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest, in which he scored, as they came from behind to secure a huge three points against their fellow strugglers.

On Tuesday night, Brentford suffered a narrow 1-0 loss away at Manchester City following a 71st-minute strike by Erling Haaland.

Both teams have struggled of late, especially West Ham. It will be a close game and we expect there to be nothing to split the pair. The Hammers haven’t scored in three games, but there will be goals in this one – West Ham 2-2 Brentford

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West Ham vs Brentford will be available to watch on Sky Sports Main Event.

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