Brentford win dim West Ham survival hopes
West Ham’s Premier League survival hopes were dealt a major blow as Brentford reignited their European prospects with victory at Gtech Community Stadium. With 18th-placed Tottenham not in action until
West Ham's Premier League survival hopes were dealt a major blow as Brentford reignited their European prospects with victory at Gtech Community Stadium.
With 18th-placed Tottenham not in action until Sunday, West Ham knew victory in west London would pile further pressure on Roberto de Zerbi's side before their trip to Aston Villa.
However, an own goal from Konstantinos Mavropanos and strikes from Igor Thiago and Mikkel Damsgaard condemned the Hammers to a heavy defeat which leaves them only two points above Spurs, who have a game in hand.
The Bees took the lead when Mavropanos beat Michael Kayode to a loose ball inside the penalty area but prodded it off the crossbar and over his own goalline.
Both teams went close in a frantic spell following the opener, with West Ham striker Valentin Castellanos striking the foot of a post before Mavropanos' header from El Hadji Malick Diouf's free-kick was ruled out for offside.
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Damsgaard should have capitalised on a poor Mads Hermansen clearance to double the lead, while Brentford top scorer Thiago sent a tame effort straight into the arms of the West Ham keeper moments later.
Castellanos struck the woodwork again with a header from a Jarrod Bowen corner, but West Ham had Hermansen to thank for keeping the score at 1-0 with a superb stop from Keane Lewis-Potter's close-range effort late in the first half.
The Hammers' hopes of finding a route back into the contest were dealt a blow when Diouf scythed down Dango Ouattara on the edge of the penalty area.
