London beckons for West Ham once again, but the longing for the tranquility of the provinces is not yet upon them. Despite the London Stadium being an unhappy abode, they remain undefeated in their early-season sojourn through their hometown. Following triumphs at Crystal Palace and a draw at Fulham, this gritty encounter unfolded on the capital's western periphery.
The Premier League's schedule this season is heavily weighted towards London, with the Hammers not venturing beyond the city limits until November 2. A midweek Carabao Cup loss at Liverpool was so exasperating that Julen Lopetegui injured himself on the sidelines, and coupled with his team's dismal home form, speculation about his future was rife. Would Anfield mark his sole outing beyond the M25?
At the Community Stadium, a better second-half showing alleviated those concerns, at least for now. The ever-reliable Tomas Soucek struck the equalizer, and Brentford, despite scoring what could be termed an 'expected goal,' were held at bay thereafter. After netting within the first 22 and 23 seconds of their last two Premier League matches, Brentford's kick-off routine was must-watch. Did West Ham get the memo? By the 24th second, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola was clawing away Kevin Schade's cross. By the 37th second, Bryan Mbeumo's volley found the back of the net, leaving Lopetegui, now free of his crutches, to remonstrate once more.
Similar to last season, Thomas Frank must soldier on without key personnel, this time Yoane Wissa, out for two months. Fabio Carvalho, the summer's major signing, made his first home start alongside Mbeumo. Their partnership likely needs time. Those early goals preceded defeats to Manchester City and Tottenham, and while Frank has devised a formula that puts opponents on the back foot from the outset, the question remains: how to see it through? Without Wissa and beyond Mbeumo, Brentford lack the firepower to finish off opponents.
Successive Hammers managers have tried to wean themselves off Michail Antonio as the central striker, but after Jarrod Bowen's misfires in that role, the pair were restored to their usual positions. Niclas Füllkrug has so far followed in a club tradition of new signings with questionable fitness records.
After that early strike, Brentford's onslaught was not sustained. Frank's team no longer play the high-octane football of their initial Premier League arrival, and West Ham were granted ample possession. It took until the 25th minute for Mark Flekken to make a save, from Mohammed Kudus' speculative shot. Next, Antonio concluded a trademark bulldozing run by dragging wide. Brentford, meanwhile, retained danger on the counter, with Mbeumo heading over bravely as Aaron Wan-Bissaka swung a boot in his direction.
Boos from the away end followed the teams down the half-time tunnel. Lucas Paquetá, after an anonymous 45 minutes, tried to get in on the act of early strikes as soon as the second half began, but ballooned well over. Lopetegui made two changes, hauling off Kudus and Emerson for a revamped left flank, down which Wan Bissaka galloped, his deflected effort pinging off a post. Konstantinos Mavropanos and Carlos Soler were the replacements, and brought a marked improvement. Soucek bundled home his equaliser after Brentford failed to clear their lines, Bowen at last having arrived in the game. He and Antonio had kept the pressure on and Nathan Collins played the goalscorer onside as the noise from the away fans reflected relief rather than belief.
West Ham's physical presence had been telling but Brentford next began to exert more pressure, and press higher, forcing errors in possession from their opponents, only to be reduced to efforts from distance. Keane Lewis-Potter's darts down the left caught the eye but West Ham's rejigged defence was holding far firmer with Jean-Clair Todibo on his first league start regularly first to the ball. Todibo's late tangle with Schade was waved away by referee Simon Hooper as home fans bayed for a penalty. When Vitaly Janelt kicked the ground and dropped to the ground in claiming another, Hooper again made the correct call.
West Ham could travel back east proudly unbeaten away from E20. Next week, Ipswich and the potential of a fourth home defeat of the season loom large.
