West Ham United v Brentford player ratings: Kurt Zouma terrible, Jarrod Bowen shines
West Ham secured an impressive 4-2 victory against Brentford at the London Stadium on Monday, 26 February.
Jarrod Bowen bagged a hat-trick but Emerson’s goal is what grabbed the headlines as pressure was eased off David Moyes’ shoulders.
The home fans got behind the side from the opening whistle and managed to beat their opponents from the western part of the capital.
Here are our player ratings for this game:
Alphonse Areola – 5
Could’ve done better with the second goal and despite making three saves, there were a few question marks about his performance. Had the Hammers not won, there would’ve been more scrutiny towards him. That said, he did well towards the end to prevent the Bees from scoring their third.
Vladimir Coufal – 7
Showed his attacking intent right from the start and that played a key role in putting the Bees on the back foot. He set up Bowen’s opener and deserved to get an assist as he started the game strongly. Even in the second half, he did not stop surging forward and looked to make things happen in the final third.
Konstantinos Mavropanos – 6
Was much better than his centre-back partner and the team looked more organised with him in the team in place of Nayef Aguerd. If one was to be critical, he could’ve done better for the second goal, but it was a quality strike and not too much blame should be attributed to the defenders.
Zouma must be dropped for West Ham v Everton
Kurt Zouma – 3
Started at left centre-back and continued being a liability for the Hammers. Was completely done for in the concession of Brentford’s opener which was scored by Maupay. With Angelo Ogbonna on the bench, there’s a good chance that the Fenchman is dropped for the next one.
Emerson – 9
An exceptional strike from the Italian to secure the three points for the Hammers in what was an impressive attacking display from him and the team. Per Sofascore, he did not slack on the defensive side of things either, making five interceptions and four tackles. It was pretty much an ideal performance one would expect from a defender.
Tomas Soucek – 7
His frame gave him superiority aerially and that was crucial as the Bees relied a lot on set pieces. Away from home, they were going to be more direct than normal and it was going to be a real test of Soucek’s physicality. It’s fair to say, he came away with a glowing performance and a much-improved display.
Edson Alvarez – 4
Was off it in terms of his passing and was second best to most duels as well. Had the players around him not upped their game from previous performances, West Ham may have been in grave danger. Not ideal for the Mexican with Kalvin Phillips breathing down his neck for regular game time.
Mohammed Kudus – 7
Always looked lively when he had possession and combined well with Coufal on the right side for the Hammers. Whenever he’s in the side, even if West Ham are having a tough day at the office, he’s capable of turning things around for them.
James Ward-Prowse – 8
Was inch-perfect with his passes as he played the role of a number 10 perfectly. In possession, he knew precisely what to do with the ball and out of possession, he was there either holding shape or looking to create a quick turnover. He won all three of his attempted ground duels and that’s what Moyes would’ve wanted from him.
Paqueta does well on his return for West Ham
Lucas Paqueta – 7
Everything seemed to tick better in the final third with the Brazil international returning to the eleven. He did not appear to put a foot wrong in the opening stages of the game. There were a few moments where he looked not fully fit, but that’s understandable given the lack of game time he’s got recently.
Jarrod Bowen – 10
Absolute perfection from the English attacker at the start of the game with him scoring two goals in the first seven minutes. He looked to be a completely different player compared to what he’s been recently and the home fans undoubtedly were ecstatic looking at this start. He picked up from where he left off in the first half and scored another one in the second to complete his hat-trick. It was a perfect performance from him and he deserved to go home with the match ball.
Substitutions
Michail Antonio – 5
Ben Johnson – N/A
In other West Ham news, a David Moyes sack admission has been made with David Sullivan talking to Tim Steidten.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.