Will West Ham avert the mega crisis?

You always hear the phrase from the German Bundesliga: “The Premier League is pulling away more and more every year because of the TV money!” What at first glance sounds like complaining at a high level was more than visible recently at Boxing Day. Breathtakingly fast football, and virtually without a break after the World Cup. Whether this is good or bad remains to be seen.

But one thing is clear: the Premier League is the best football league in the world! All the better that it continues almost seamlessly. And fans can expect a real cracker with West Ham vs Brentford. A prediction in both directions is worth considering for this pairing.

A single point is really not much. But that is exactly how far the proud Hammers are from the first relegation spot in England’s top flight. United came back impressively from their short winter break, but only for a half. They were leading 1-0 against Arsenal London before losing 3-1.

Not a disaster, but a missed chance. For West Ham vs. Brentford, betting on the home side is definitely an option. Also because of the home advantage and the actual quality of the East Londoners. Will the hosts finally get their horsepower on the road on Friday?

Brentford is now a household name in English football. After enjoying a bruising run of form at times last year and holding on to the league with flying colours, they are in a steady tenth place this season too. Six points ahead of West Ham United! On Boxing Day, they also played strongly, but had to accept a 2-2 draw against Tottenham in a wild final phase. Before that, they had led 2:0 and played strongly. Against West Ham, the visitors should also be in with a chance, and we expect a close game on equal terms. Kick-off at the London Stadium is at 20:45 on Friday night.

West Ham – Statistics & current form

West Ham are showing two faces this season. In the Conference League they marched through the group stage and are one of the top contenders for the title. In the league they are surprisingly circling around in the relegation zone and have only 14(!) points after 16 games. At the same time last season, they had twice as many. When will David Moyes’ team finally break the deadlock?

Brutally harmless offence

Especially up front, the East Londoners are stumbling. The Hammers’ forward line has scored a paltry 13 goals in 16 games. More goals are needed, ideally in West Ham vs Brentford. Odds on many goals are very lucrative, also because the home side’s defence is reasonably stable. Before the season, the team was strengthened with the German international Thilo Kehrer, among others, but he does not stand for a high Premier League level at the moment.

At least a look at the home table gives some hope, because ten of the 14 points were recorded at home. In terms of quality, the hosts should be much higher up the table anyway. In terms of market value, the Irons’ squad ranks eighth in the Premier League.

But the old adage that “money shoots goals” only applies sometimes. After a well-deserved 3-1 loss to Arsenal in the London derby on Boxing Day, a win in front of the home crowd is almost a must for West Ham against Brentford. Betting odds for a home win on Friday are in the region of 1.90.

Predicted West Ham line-up:
Fabianski – Coufal, C. Dawson, Kehrer, Cresswell – Soucek, Rice, Bowen, Lucas Paqueta, Benrahma – Antonio

Last matches played by West Ham:

Premier League
27/12/2022 – Arsenal FC 3 – 1 West Ham

Friendly club matches
17/12/2022 – Fulham 1 – 1 West Ham

10/12/2022 – Udinese 1 – 3 West Ham

07/12/2022 – Cambridge U 2 – 4 West Ham

Premier League
12/11/2022 – West Ham 0 – 2 Leicester

Brentford – Statistics & current form

What a wild game on Boxing Day! Brentford were already 2:0 in the lead against the top team Tottenham Hotspurs, but could still be happy about the final 2:2 in the end. All in all, a point won for the tenth in the table, who also perform stable in the second Premier League season. They have also only lost three times away from home in eight games, so they don’t have to hide on Friday night. Is the strength of the visitors enough to risk a bet on an away win at West Ham vs Brentford?

As always, anything is possible, but it should be borne in mind that draws are the Bees’ most popular result on away trips. As well as the three defeats, there have been four draws and one win away from home.

Ivan Toney in focus

Viewers who don’t follow the Premier League regularly may not yet be able to make much sense of the name Ivan Toney. But the eleven-time goalscorer has quietly blossomed into one of England’s most dangerous strikers. The Northampton native is red-hot and keeps his form despite major disruptive noise from the outside. Toney has received several allegations in recent weeks in the wake of a betting scandal. The final clarification is still pending here.

The situation is different for Thomas Frank, who led the Bees to the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history in the season before last. His contract was most recently extended until 2027 and the Dane is thus still firmly in the saddle. Brentford’s success is largely due to his work. While they are in sixth last place in the table in terms of market value, in reality they are once again in mid-table. Nowadays, this is called “overperformance”.

Predicted line-up of Brentford:
Raya – M. Jörgensen, Pinnock, Mee – Rasmussen, Jensen, Nörgaard, Janelt, Henry – Mbeumo, Toney

Last matches played by Brentford:

Premier League
26/12/2022 – Brentford 2 – 2 Tottenham

Friendly club matches
17/12/2022 – Brentford 2 – 2 VfL Wolfsburg

13/12/2022 – Celta Vigo 3 – 1 Brentford

10/12/2022 – Bordeaux 2 – 1 Brentford

Premier League
12/11/2022 – Manchester City 1 – 2 Brentford

West Ham – Brentford Direct comparison / H2H record

The direct comparison is surprising for West Ham vs Brentford. The odds still see the visitors as clear underdogs and that despite the Bees winning every game against the Hammers. 2-0 and 2-1, the latter result in London, were the results last season. The two matches are the only comparisons between the two clubs in the great history of English football.

West Ham – Brentford Tip

West Ham are virtually doomed to win on Friday. Should they actually lose, they could slip into a relegation place. Then the air would also become thinner for coach David Moyes. The visitors also need to consolidate their midfield position. Brentford also need every single point to stay in the relegation zone. Even if Coach Frank’s men seem to be in better shape than the home side, the basic quality and the home advantage speak for the Hammers. Playing the odds on an away win at West Ham vs. Brentford still seems to be an option due to their size. However, we go with the goals and opt for the variant: Both score.

West Ham vs Brentford offers room for many predictions. For us, however, “Both goals” seems the most likely for West Ham – Brentford. Brentford bring a strong attack into the game and were successful twice on the last matchday. West Ham play at home and have scored in eight of their last nine games here