West Ham and Brentford go head-to-head in London Derby.
Brentford vs
West Ham United
In a high-stakes London derby, Brentford aim to halt their losing streak and clinch a third consecutive home victory as they face a struggling West Ham, both hungry to claim precious points at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Brentford
Brentford came close to making a riveting upset in last weekend’s London Derby against Tottenham, which ended 1-3 despite taking the lead right after kick-off via Bryan Mbeumo. However, Dominic Solanke struck seven minutes later to level the scoreline. Any remaining hopes of earning a point went up in flames following two more goals from Spurs. This defeat left Brentford with back-to-back losses ahead of this weekend’s clash against West Ham, another side with early-season struggles.
Brentford, drawn against Sheffield Wednesday in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, are in 12th place with 6 points, just two points more than West Ham before Saturday’s encounter. Back-to-back victories on home turf are encouraging for Thomas Frank’s side, leaving the Bees on the verge of winning three opening home games for the first time since 2018-19.
Achieving this would give Brentford five wins in six home games against West Ham, having won four of their last five matchups. A 5-3-2 lineup with Bryan Mbeumo and Fábio Carvalho in attack is anticipated. Yoane Wissa, who did not feature in Match Day 5’s squad, could return to the starting lineup.
West Ham United
West Ham's journey in the EFL Cup ended abruptly with a heavy 5-1 defeat to Liverpool in the third round, a match complicated further by being reduced to ten men. Earlier in the league, they suffered a 3-0 loss to Chelsea, which dropped them to 14th place, having secured only one win in their last five Premier League outings.
Following the EFL Cup exit, manager Julen Lopetegui, who left Anfield injured and on crutches, faces mounting pressure to turn their fortunes around this weekend. They aim to secure three points in Saturday’s London derby, a short trip across the city.
A victory would mean back-to-back wins against the Bees after their 4-2 success in February. Formation-wise, a 4-2-3-1 is expected, with Danny Ings leading the attack. However, Niclas Füllkrug remains doubtful due to a calf injury.
