Premier League | Gameweek 25

Feb 15, 2025 at 3pm UK

London Stadium

West Ham vs Brentford

Match preview

While other clubs were scrambling to make last-minute signings on transfer deadline day, Chelsea and West Ham were looking to make the headlines at Stamford Bridge, where Potter returned to face the club that ruthlessly sacked him just months into his tenure.

The Irons boss would have had the last laugh had the game ended at half-time - Jarrod Bowen capitalising on a Levi Colwill error to put the visitors ahead - but Pedro Neto's equaliser and an unfortunate own goal from Aaron Wan-Bissaka sent West Ham home empty-handed.

The typical 'new manager bounce' seems to have eluded West Ham since Potter took over, and with just one point from their last nine Premier League games, the Hammers occupy a lowly 16th place in the table.

However, West Ham's situation is not quite as dire as their league position suggests; they still sit 10 points clear of Leicester City in the highest of the relegation places, but one win in seven across all competitions is certainly not relegation-worthy form.

The former Europa Conference League winners have also been inconsistent at the London Stadium, winning three, losing three and drawing two of their last eight Premier League home games, and have kept just two top-flight clean sheets in front of their own fans since the start of the season.

No strangers to letting opposition teams score on home soil, Brentford have seen the walls of their Gtech Community Stadium fortress come tumbling down in recent weeks, and Tottenham were the latest team to add to the Bees' woes in West London.

The Brentford faithful could have been forgiven for any pre-match optimism against an injury-hit Lilywhites side who had lost their opening four Premier League games of the season, but a Vitaly Janelt own goal and a Pape Sarr strike prolonged the Bees' home slump.

Brentford's home form at the start of the season had put them in European contention, but Thomas Frank's side have now slipped into the bottom half of the table, winning just two of their last 11 games in all competitions.

However, both of those victories have come away from home against Southampton and Crystal Palace, meaning the visitors are just 90 minutes away from winning three Premier League games in a row for the first time.

On one of the rare occasions when a Brentford home game in the early part of the season did not result in a flood of goals, the Bees were held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham in September, but Mbeumo's first-minute strike that day means they have found the back of the net in all seven of their Premier League meetings with Saturday's hosts.

Recent Performance

West Ham United Premier League form:LLWLDL

West Ham United form (all competitions):LLWLDL

Brentford Premier League form:LWDLWL

Brentford form (all competitions):WLDLWL

Team News

Bowen's return from a foot injury was a boon for West Ham against Chelsea, but the Irons have also welcomed Evan Ferguson into their ranks and the Brighton & Hove Albion loanee should make his debut in this capital clash.

Fellow strikers Niclas Fullkrug (thigh) and Michail Antonio (leg) are still sidelined, as is Crysencio Summerville (hamstring), but Lucas Paqueta (groin), Edson Alvarez (undisclosed) and Jean-Clair Todibo (undisclosed) are all expected to be available.

So Ferguson may have to wait patiently for a start if Paqueta and Kudus line up behind Bowen, whose next Premier League goal will be his 50th for the Hammers, making him only the second man to reach the milestone for the club after Antonio on 68.

Brentford also added to their ranks on deadline day, albeit with the less high-profile signing of 18-year-old winger Romelle Donovan on loan from Birmingham City, and it should be largely the same on the injury front for the visitors.

Aaron Hickey (thigh), Igor Thiago (knee), Gustavo Nunes (back), Rico Henry (thigh) and Josh Dasilva (knee) remain sidelined, but Frank has confirmed that first-choice goalkeeper Mark Flekken will return from the side strain that kept him out of the Chelsea defeat.

After an 18-minute cameo against Spurs, on-loan Fiorentina defender Michael Kayode could also make his full Premier League debut at right-back, with Kristoffer Ajer the casualty.

Possible starting lineup

West Ham United possible starting lineup:

Areola; Coufal, Kilman, Cresswell; Wan-Bissaka, Alvarez, Soucek, Emerson; Kudus, Paqueta; Bowen

Brentford possible starting lineup:

Flekken; Kayode, Collins, Van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Norgaard, Janelt; Mbeumo, Damsgaard, Schade; Wissa