Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
The fact that Brentford lost to fired-up Tottenham Hotspur after their North London derby defeat is acceptable, but West Ham United's lacklustre performance in two consecutive matches leaves no excuses. Do they have any chance of success?
Brentford
It turns out Brentford have been underperforming away from home. A zero-point tally in the current away table and their loss to Tottenham Hotspur, who typically only lose at home to clubs of Manchester City and Arsenal's level, are unsurprising. Notably, Brentford once again opened the scoring in the first minute, as they did against Manchester City, but were trailing by halftime. At home, however, it’s a different story. In the home table, they are fifth with two victories. Central midfielder Christian Nørgaard, who missed the match against Tottenham Hotspur due to a minor injury, should be available on Saturday, which will improve the team’s performance.
West Ham United
West Ham United have suffered heavy defeats in their last two matches against giants. The losses themselves are not shocking, but the ease with which Chelsea and Liverpool broke down West Ham United's defence is alarming. They barely had to improvise. Moreover, the expected goals against (4.74 xGA) significantly differed from the actual goals conceded (8). The team's last away game was somewhat better (1:1), but the opponent, Fulham, was comparable in strength, and West Ham United only managed to equalise in the 95th minute.
Brentford vs West Ham United Prediction
West Ham United's last two visits to the Brentford Community Stadium ended in defeats (2:3 and 0:2), and given Brentford's strong home form (4.37 xG over two matches), a home victory is very likely.
