Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham take on Thomas Frank’s Brentford in the Premier League at the Gtech Community Stadium. The game takes place on Saturday, September 28, 2024 in West London. A win for The Irons means they leapfrog the Bees in the table, who sit only two places above them. Kick-off is at 3:00 P.M. Last Word on Football brings you a West Ham predicted lineup.
West Ham Predicted Lineup vs Brentford
How West Ham Have Lined up Recently
Alphonse Areola has started every Premier League match for West Ham so far this season. The French international has played 405 minutes of football, conceding eight goals in five matches. He has kept one clean sheet in a 2-0 away win at Crystal Palace. He currently has a 59% save percentage and a 59% long-ball accuracy rate. Areola was subbed off for 39-year-old Łukasz Fabiański in the second half against Manchester City, who also started against Liverpool and Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup.
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Lopetegui decided to line up with a 3-4-2-1 against Chelsea last weekend in the Premier League where they lost 3-0 at home. The back three was made up of Max Kilman, Edson Alvarez and Konstantinos Mavropanos. This was very different to their usual lineup where Lopetegui has opted for a four at the back with Emerson, Mavropanos, Kilman and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with the latter starting in midfield. We expect the West Ham to revert to their usual back four against the Bees, with Kilman and Mavropanos as the centre-back duo with Emerson and Wan-Bissaka at left and right wing respectively. The Hammers have only kept one clean sheet this season, however, that did come away to another London side. The Hammers’ defence has been much better on the road this season.
One player who will not be available in midfield is Alvarez, who got a second yellow card mere minutes after his first booking against Liverpool. This means that his suspension will carry over to the Hammers’ next match. This may lead to the introduction of Carlos Soler, who joined West Ham from PSG on loan. He has played in three games this campaign, with two appearances coming in the league. He will be expected to start alongside Tomas Soucek who has played in all of the Hammers matches this campaign.
We expect Lopetegui to opt for a four-man attack, with three midfielders (two serving as wingers) and a lone striker. Mohammed Kudus would be expected to start at left wing. The Ghanaian sensation has also played in all of the Irons matches, with him yet to score or even gain an assist so far. Michael Antonio has started every league match up to the Chelsea match where he was replaced up front by Jarrod Bowen, who has scored twice already in 2024/2025. Antonio did make a second-half appearance however was unable to help the Hammers claw themselves back into the game against a Mareca-led side starting to find their feet again.
West Ham Recent Form
The Hammers will desperately want to try to alter their recent fortunes, with Lopetegui’s side only scoring four goals in their last five matches in all competitions. Moreover, their last win in the Premier League came over a month ago despite high expectations this season after a promising end to the 2023/2024 campaign. In their last three league matches, West Ham has picked up one point out of a possible nine, with the point coming against Fulham away at Craven Cottage, thanks to a stoppage-time equaliser by Danny Ings. The match beforehand resulted in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City, who have only dropped two points so far all season, with that coming against Arsenal last week in a 2-2 home draw for the Citizens.
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In their last league game, West Ham fell to a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea, conceding twice within the first 20 minutes due to two early strikes by Nicolas Jackson. Despite West Ham having three more shots than the Blues and two more shots on target, Lopetegui’s side failed to create any big chances. Most of the Hammers’ shots came from outside the box posing no imminent threat. In their last match, West Ham fell to a crushing 5-1 defeat to Liverpool in the third round of the Carabao Cup. The Irons took the lead thanks to a Quansah own goal in the 21st minute, but after Alvarez received his second yellow, the Reds inflicted insult into injury in added time. Liverpool dominated the match, especially in possession where they had 68% possession in the first half.
Injuries for Lopetegui to Consider
Julen Lopetegui, who has had a poor start to his tenure at the London Stadium will only have one injury to consider ahead of their all-London affair. This comes through Niclas Füllkrug who picked up a calf injury in early September. There is no official date of his return, but it is doubtful that he will make an appearance against the Bees. Alvarez will also be unavailable due to his second yellow against Liverpool.
West Ham Predicted Lineup vs Chelsea
GK – Areola
LB – Emerson
CB – Mavropanos
CB – Kilman
RB – Wan-Bissaka
CM – Soler
CM – Soucek
LW – Kudus
CAM – Paqueta
RW – Summerville
ST – Bowen
