West Ham United return home on the back of a huge win in their fight to stay in the Premier League. A 1-0 win over Fulham has taken the Hammers level with Nottingham Forest in 17th and Nuno Espirito Santo will not want this FA Cup tie to stop the side’s momentum.
Nuno’s team look back on track after Crysencio Summerville scored the winner at Craven Cottage. The Hammers looked strong defensively once again as the team’s defensive revolution continued. Jean-Clair Todibo returned to partner Axel Disasi proving West Ham’s strength in depth has grown.
West Ham will expect to make changes for this tie, but will be making sure not to make too many given the Premier League opposition and importance to keeping the momentum going.
Brentford are aiming for Europe this season after a strong first campaign under new boss Keith Andrews. The Bee’s played out a 0-0 draw with AFC Bournemouth on Tuesday, leaving them four points behind 6th placed Liverpool.
The Hammers will be hoping Brentford have eyes on that fight, rather than the FA Cup on Monday night.
Key Statistics
- Brentford have won the last two meetings with West Ham in all competitions.
- West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville has two goals in the FA Cup this season, the team’s top scorer in the competition.
- Brentford have lost just one game in their last five matches in all competitions.
- West Ham have also lost just one game in their last five matches, but have won one game more than their opponents.
- Brentford’s Thiago has 19 goals this season, but has not appeared in the FA Cup for the team.
- West Ham’s Axel Disasi has secured four clean sheets in six games since joining the club on-loan in January.
Prediction
Here, a handful of our writer’s give their prediction for the game…
Matt Bottomley
“West Ham got thing’s back on track on Wednesday night, and looked a better version of themselves. Nuno has publicly stated before that he enjoys the FA Cup and believes it can help his team, but what side he names with so much on line, is yet to be seen.
“Brentford are having a superb year under Keith Andrews and could make Europe this season. The Bees have made changes in this competition this season, which begs the question, do they attack on both fronts, or solely focus on the league?
“With both team’s minds elsewhere, this game could be one hell of a slog, coming down to who finds the moment of quality to win it.”
Prediction: West Ham 0-1 Brentford (AET)
