West Ham lose fifth successive Premier League game as Brentford claim victory following Ivan Toney goal
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ByEurosport
Updated 30/12/2022 at 21:59 GMT
West Ham are in danger of being sucked into a relegation battle this season after a 2-0 home defeat to Brentford on Friday left them in 17th place in the Premier League. Goals from Ivan Toney and then Josh Dasilva in the first half were enough to earn Brentford three points as they moved into ninth place in the league table as the domestic season continues.
Ivan Toney
Image credit: Getty Images
Ivan Toney helped to inflict a fifth straight league defeat on West Ham as high-flying Brentford left the London Stadium with a comfortable 2-0 victory.
David Moyes’ side made a bright start, with Declan Rice crashing a shot against the post, but the hosts were caught out against the run of play in the 18th-minute when Toney slotted home the rebound after Lukasz Fabianski could only parry Christian Norgaard’s shot.
The Hammers continued to dominate without finding a way to trouble Brentford’s defence, and Thomas Frank’s men doubled their advantage two minutes before the break with another smash-and-grab when Josh Dasilva outpaced Aaron Cresswell and found the far corner with a smart finish.
Jarrod Bowen was almost on a one-man mission to drag West Ham back into the game with his direct running and he thought he had won his side a penalty after the restart when he was fouled by Ben Mee, with the referee Darren England pointing to the spot. However, after a lengthy VAR check, it was determined that contact was made on the edge of the box, and the set-piece came to nothing.
Fabianski continued to be the busiest of the two goalkeepers and he had to be alert to keep out substitute Saman Ghoddos’ instinctive effort. Toney hooked over from point-blank range from the resulting corner as Brentford threatened a third.
West Ham ramped up the pressure as their desperation grew, with Gianluca Scamacca and Craig Dawson forcing saves from Bees goalkeeper David Raya, but that was as close as West Ham would come as they were jeered off by the home supporters at the full-time whistle.
After such a pleasing display, Brentford were dealt a potentially massive blow in stoppage-time when Toney was forced off with a knee injury following an awkward fall, leaving the pitch looking distressed on a stretcher.
The result leaves West Ham 17th, just a point above the drop zone ahead of the weekend's fixtures, while Brentford climb above Fulham into ninth.
Talking point – Can Moyes survive?
Moyes may have credit in the bank after guiding the Hammers to sixth and seventh-place finishes in the Premier League, but patience could be running out following yet another concerning result. After spending £150m over the summer, the board will have wanted a big improvement in the second half of the season; however, there appears to be no sign that West Ham have turned a corner.
This weekend marks Moyes’ third anniversary in charge and whilst he has undoubtedly brought some good times back, the supporters will demand the club go from strength from strength. At the moment, it appears they are in danger of falling backwards and if they’re not careful, they could even be dragged into a relegation battle.
Meanwhile, what looked like the perfect night for Brentford ended on a sour note following the injury to Toney and it'll be a nervous wait to see just how serious it is.
Player of the match - Ben Mee (Brentford)
The former Burnley defender covered the backline superbly; making blocks, winning headers and leading by example. An outstanding defensive performance.
Player ratings
West Ham: Fabianski 7, Coufal 5, Dawson 6, Ogbonna 5, Cresswell 4, Benrahma 6, Rice 5, Paqueta 5, Emerson 5, Bowen 7, Scamacca 5.. subs: Soucek N/A, Antonio 5.
Brentford: Raya 6, Henry 7, Roerslev 6, Pinnock 7, Zanka 7, Mee 8*, Jensen 6, Norgaard 7, Dasilva 7, Mbeumo 6, Toney 7.. subs: Wissa 6, Ghoddos 6, Janelt 6.
Match highlights
18’ - GOAL! WEST HAM 0-1 BRENTFORD (IVAN TONEY): Out of nowhere, Brentford take the lead! Pinnock flicks on a long throw in and Fabianski does well to save Norgaard's shot. But there's nothing he can do about the second attempt as Toney slots home the rebound from six yards out.
43’ - GOAL! WEST HAM 0-2 BRENTFORD (JOSH DASILVA): West Ham are undone by yet another throw-in! This time it's flicked on by Toney, Dasilva pounces and beats Cresswell for pace before finding the far corner with a neat finish for his third goal of the season. West Ham have a mountain to climb now!
49’ - PENALTY TO WEST HAM?! Bowen takes a tumble very close to the Brentford box, the referee David England takes some time to think about it before he points to the spot. VAR is going to have a look and replays show contact may have been outside the area. After a lengthy check, it is determined that contact was indeed on the edge of the box, so West Ham have to settle for a free-kick, which comes to nothing.
73’ - TONEY SHOULD SCORE! From the resulting corner, the ball falls kindly for the unmarked Toney but he contrives to hook it over the bar!
Key stats
- West Ham have lost five consecutive games in the Premier League for the first time since April 2017 under Slaven Bilic. David Moyes, meanwhile, has lost five consecutive league games for the first time since October 2005 with Everton (6).
- West Ham found themselves 2+ goals behind at half-time in a Premier League game at the London Stadium for the first time since November 2019 against Spurs, under Manuel Pellegrini.
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