West Ham aiming to maintain Europa League spot with trip to Brentford

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West Ham will be aiming to maintain their role in the race for a European spot next season as they travel across town to face Brentford.

David Moyes’ side head to the Brentford Community Stadium off the back of their 1-1 draw against Lyon in the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday night, with their second leg trip to the French outfit coming just four days after their visit to west London.

The Bees will themselves be confident heading into the fixture at home having pulled off a remarkable 4-1 victory at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea last Saturday.

Yoane Wissa’s 94th minute goal ensured Brentford took all three points against West Ham the last time these two sides met back in October.
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Hammers hoping for more European away days

The Hammers have been very impressive in their Europa League campaign this season and their result on Thursday night, particularly when they spent the second half with ten men as a result of Aaron Creswell’s controversial red card, proves that they can make it even further in the competition.

West Ham finished top of their group having won four of their six games and went on to knock out serial winners Sevilla in the round of 16 thanks to Andriy Yarmolenko’s extra-time winner at the London Stadium.

Premier League performances have also been a notable highlight of their campaign and they are on course to secure European football for the second season running.

They currently sit sixth in the table on 51 points and just three points behind Tottenham Hotspur who sit in the coveted fourth spot for the Champions League. Arsenal, Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also in contention for a top-four finish, although some are further off the pace than others.

Three wins, two draws and one loss in their opening six games meant they started the season in good fashion, before their 3-2 home win over Liverpool saw them rise into the top four spots.

However as the season has progressed, the Hammers have slowly slipped back into the places below them. Champions League football is still a possibility but with Spurs and Arsenal above them having at leat one game in hand over them, it could soon prove to be too little too late.

Therefore a fifth or sixth-place finish is a lot more achievable, although United could overtake them if they are to win their game in hand.

Their last Premier League outing saw them beat strugglers Everton 2-1 at home. It saw Jarrod Bowen make a return to the side after a period of absence from the side and he proceeded to score the winner for his side, before netting once again against Lyon.

His 14 goals and 11 assists overall have been crucial to the Hammers’ fortunes thus far, and his contributions to the side could be vital in the latter stages of their season.

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Bees buzzing from Bridge battle

Brentford have been competing well in their first season in the top flight of English football for the first time since 1993, and they have battled well in their 31 Premier League games to date.

They took eight points from a possible 15 in their first five games, including a 2-0 win on the opening day against Arsenal. The Bees then held Liverpool to a 3-3 draw at home, with the west London outfit showing early signs that they are here to stay.

Despite this, the form from Thomas Frank’s side took a nosedive at the start of 2022; after their 4-1 win against Port Vale in the FA Cup, Brentford failed to win in nine games in all competitions. However, some of these results included losses against the likes of Liverpool, United, Manchester City and Arsenal.

Questions were raised over whether or not they would find themselves in a relegation battle, but results in the past few weeks have suggested that this may not be the case.

An Ivan Toney hat-trick saw them claim a crucial victory on the road at Norwich City, before they returned to the Brentford Community Stadium to secure a late win courtesy of another two goals from their striker.

A loss to Leicester City was soon forgotten in their short trip to SW6 when they beat the reigning European Champions at Stamford Bridge, coming from 1-0 down to win 4-1 against the Blues. Christian Eriksen scored his first goal for the club since his arrival in January, and the result sees them sit nine points clear of the drop.

It is now looking increasingly likely that they will secure another season in the Premier League, and their recent results have made up for their poor form at the beginning of 2022.

A home victory against their East London opponents would almost certainly confirm such fate too, and the momentum gained from their victory last weekend could help them to seal the three points.

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