West Ham United make the short journey across London to face Brentford, at the Gtech Community Stadium. The fixture takes place on November 4 for a 3pm kick-off, and – with the sides separated by a singular point – this match should be a close one. This is the expected West Ham United predicted lineup.
West Ham Predicted Lineup vs Brentford in London Derby
This is what we've been lacking in recent games. A certain forward with fight and urgency!
Really hope Moyes sticks with this front 3 for Brentford.
👊⚒️ #WHUFC #COYI pic.twitter.com/YQb7gt0ZCK
— West Ham News & Views (@WestHamViews_) November 3, 2023
How West Ham Have Lined-up Recently
West Ham Recent Form and Tactics
As mentioned, Moyes plays a 4-2-3-1 formation – with that formidable double pivot. West Ham play with a fast counter-attack and take their chances, frequently winning games in which they have little possession or expected goals (XG). For example, beating Brighton 3-1 with 22% possession.
The East London outfit won a huge cup tie against Arsenal midweek, 3-1 at home. They only had 28% possession and 3 shots on target, yet their clinical forwards and fast-paced attacks allowed them to knock the Premier League giants out of the EFL Cup.
However, Moyes has lost the last two Premier League games and the last Europa League fixture (away at Olympiacos). The most recent Premier League game, Everton at home, was lost 1-0.
This does not bode well, as Everton (a side who sat just three points above the relegation zone) looked like scoring throughout the entire game. A 4-1 drubbing at Aston Villa the week before just adds to the tension around the club, as European football appears to be taking its toll on the squad.
Brentford, a dangerous attacking side with a very similar points tally, will be a tough test for a tired West Ham.
West Ham Injuries to Consider
On the injury front, there is only one piece of news. The only injury is to Kurt Zouma, who has “trained a little bit, but remains a doubt” according to Moyes. The centre-back has started all league games and is club captain, so will be a significant loss if unavailable. Konstantinos Mavropanos, who had a strong performance against former club Arsenal, will likely replace him.
The, quite significant, bad news is that two of their most important players have been suspended for the fixture at Brentford. The duo both accumulated their fifth yellow card (in the league this season) in the loss against Everton, but were able to feature in the EFL Cup victory over Arsenal due to suspension rules.
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The first is Paquetá, who has started every league match for the Hammers this campaign. With three goals and an assist, the midfielder has been one of the away side’s best players – playing as a number ten, a left-winger, and even a holding midfielder. The Brazilian will be a huge miss.
Secondly, is Álvarez. The highly-rated defensive midfielder was signed from Ajax in the summer for £35 million and, alongside Ward-Prowse, has replaced Declan Rice quite effectively. Ranking in the top ten percent for aerials won, blocks, and clearances, the Mexican international’s absence will leave a hole for Brentford and Bryan Mbuemo to exploit. Fortunately, the experienced Tomás Soucek should be a suitable replacement.
West Ham Predicted Lineup
In their favoured 4-2-3-1:
GK: Alphonse Areola
LB: Emerson
CB: Nayef Aguerd
CB: Konstantinos Mavropanos
RB: Vladimír Coufal
LDM: James Ward-Prowse
RDM: Tomás Soucek
LW: Saïd Benrahma
AM: Mohammed Kudus
RW: Jarrod Bowen
ST: Michail Antonio
