West Ham United progressed to the 4th round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Brentford, thanks to Said Benrahma’s fine finish against his former club, and at his former home, the GTech Community Stadium.
Brentford controlled the first half and will argue that they should have led going into half time interval, with Yoanne Wissa and Keane Lewis-Potter missing good chances.
West Ham came out the better team in the second half and got their reward through substitute Benrahma ten minutes from time to progress to the next round.
Brentford made seven changes from the side that dismantled Liverpool, with only Ben Mee, Mads Roerslev, Mathias Jensen and Yoane Wissa keeping their places in the team.
As for the very much under pressure West Ham and David Moyes, they made just the four changes from their midweek draw over Leicester. Ben Johnson, Angelo Ogbonna, Michail Antonio and Emerson came into the side.
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Story of the Match
Having witnessed Brentford breeze past Liverpool on Monday night, coupled with West Ham’s torrid away record this season, the windy GTech Community Stadium looked primed for another raucous performance from the home side.
With both teams predominately known for their direct style of play and potent threat from set-pieces, the weather conditions were certainly a noticeable factor of the game in the opening exchanges.
A cagey opening 15 minutes was eventually broken from its latches when Brentford created a golden chance through their golden boy Keane-Lewis Potter.
The youngster broke free away down the right and put in a teasing ball for Yoanne Wissa in the box, who was unable to follow up on his goal against Liverpool. No doubt the chance belonged in the category of ‘has to score’.
Five minutes after Wissa’s sitter and West Ham responded. First, Lucas Paqueta blazed an effort well over following a half-chance for Michail Antonio. Then Jarod Bowen strides forward on the break for the Hammers but got his finish all wrong and dragged it wide of the mark.
The rain and wind showed no sign of letting up on the 30-minute mark of the game that was competitive but lacked chances.
Lewis-Potter looked a bright spark for the Bees all day and was involved again when he played a lovely give and go with Mikel Damsgaard before the former drilled over the bar from outside the box.
The nature of David Moyes crisis was starting to transcend onto the pitch as Brentford cranked the chance creation up. Sam Ghoddos nearly justified his inclusion when his first-time effort from a cross was comically blocked by his own player Lewis-Potter, who maybe wanted all the spoils for himself.
Despite their half-chances, West Ham mirrored a team that were out of form and low on confidence. In truth, an away trip to Brentford in the FA Cup is no easy task to get your season back on track.
The Bees looked the better of two sides going into the half and will be largely disappointed that they didn’t have a goal to match their dominance.
However, chances were at a premium and both sides will not have fancied a replay at the time of writing.
Urgency was needed from the Hammers, with the prospect of the FA Cup and maybe their manager’s job hanging in the balance. Tomas Soucek nearly put West Ham ahead minutes after the second half resumed.
It was lovely team play too, as Paqueta played Emerson in behind the Bees back four. The Italian full-back then put in a lovely cross that Soucek simply had to convert. Similar to Wissa’s chance, it should have been buried.
Paqueta was starting to influence the game and was at the forefront again for the Hammers minutes after Soucek’s miss.
The Brazilian whipped in a venomous free-kick that Craig Dawson looked destined to head home but at the last minute he slipped, and the ball went out of play. Mother Nature looking over the GTech on that occasion.
You could sense that Brentford acknowledged the resilience shown by the visitors and in an attempt to stifle their endeavours, the Bees began slowing the play down and committing fouls in an attempt to extinguish the Hammers attacking threat.
Brentford then had their first meaningful chance of the half when Mads Roerslev’s cross was headed just wide by Lewis-Potter, who was still in search of his first goal for Brentford.
Said Benrahma was brought on with 20 minutes to play and earlier on in the first half whilst the Algerian was warming up, Brentford fans were chanting ‘Said Benrahma, he wants to come home’. Interestingly, Brentford have won three games out of three against West Ham since Benrahma swapped west London for east.
What happened next was poetic. With ten minutes to go Rice won the ball off Wissa high up the pitch and the loose ball fell to the substitute Benrahma. He drove at his former teams back line and got a vicious shot from 20 yards that beat Strakhosa with ease. What a moment and what a story.
In truth, you can’t say West Ham did not deserve it. They played the better half and showed grit to overcome what was a tricky first half showing.
Debutant Kevin Schade almost created his own narrative when his long-range effort was deflected just wide. Thomas Frank gambled when he took off Ben Mee for striker Ryan Trevitt but it was to no avail and West Ham held on for a crucial win to progress to the 4th round of the FA Cup.
Commiserations to Brentford, who were much stronger in the first half but dropped off massively in the second, which ultimately proved to be their downfall.
West Ham took the initiative, and it was the fairy-tale story of Said Benrahma scoring a stunner against his former club, at his former stomping ground. The magic of the FA Cup ever-present as always.
Forget the drama of the goal, Said Benrahma was excellent when he was subbed on by Moyes with 20 minutes to go. He gave West Ham more zip in attack and when it counted he buried his one and only chance to send his side into the next round.