UP FOR T’CUP
Brentford 0 West Ham 1
This may not be the best time to return to a theory of mine that if two teams play each other in different competitions over the space of a week, then the results will always be different. That would make the result of this FA Cup tie a draw or a West Ham win.
Brentford are putting out something close to a reserve side, something a little surprising when considering the strength of this afternoon’s Hammers XI. Aguerd starts again as he did against Leeds, but there is no starting place for Saïd Behrama, signed from Brentford not too long ago, and a player who is now finally finding his form at West Ham.
The first half is a remarkable exercise in sporting lethargy, neither side pressing the other, and beyond a brilliant Fabianski save from Yoane Wissa on the edge of the six yard box, there is next to nothing to report from these forty-five and a bit minutes.
This may be a good time to reflect on just how awful most of 2022 has been for West Ham United. The high point was getting to the UEFA Europa League Semi-Final and shortly afterwards scrambling another European place thanks to a few decent late season results. Then the signing of players who ordinarily would have had no interest in coming to the club. Cornet, Kehrer, Paquetá and Scamacca, to name just four. And how are they doing? Cornet is injured, probably physically and mentally after having his perfect late equaliser at Stamford Bridge denied because of a little piece of RADA from Mendy. Up until the point in the week at Leeds, the twitterati were calling for Moyes’ head. How will they feel if Brentford find a second half winner?
The skin of the game peels back and a cut and thrust develops with chances created at both ends.
Kevin Schade, Brentford’s on loan German striker, comes on for a twenty minute cameo at the end, and with him Benrahma enters the field of play replacing Tomas Souček. Both offer acceleration and hitherto missing talent, Schade causing consternation in the Hammers’ defence, but it’s Benrahma who bursts through onto the through ball, loosened by Rice’s firm tackle, who breaks the deadlock with a fabulous twenty yard strike past substitute keeper Thomas Strakosha.
By the time the whistle goes, any other chance of an equaliser has finally been put to bed. The draw subsequently offers West Ham an away tie at first division Derby County. The ghost of Dave MacKay awaits…
1 Lucasz Fabianski, 2 Ben Johnson, 33 Emerson, 15 Craig Dawson, 21 Angelo Ogbonna, 41 Declan Rice (captain), 27 Nayef Aguerd, 28 Tomas Souček, 11 Lucas Paquetá, 9 Michail Antonio, 20 Jarrod Bowen
Substitutes: 12 Flynn Downes, 22 Saïd Benrahma, 8 Pablo Fornals
Goalscorer: Saïd Benrahma
