Credit: Imago

Samuel Fabre

Tue 10 March 2026 20:02, UK

Axel Disasi continued his impressive run of form in West Ham United‘s 5-3 penalty-shootout win over Brentford on Monday.

The FA Cup fifth-round tie finished 2-2 after 120 minutes, and although he didn’t step up to take a spot-kick, he was instrumental at centre-back.

Having joined the Hammers on loan from Chelsea, Disasi was phenomenal on his first two debut against Burnley, and he has only gotten better ever since.

Not only has the 27-year-old played a large part in West Ham’s bid for Premier League survival, but there’s no doubt he’s also helped them qualify for the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 10 years.

The Sofascore graphic below highlights how well he played in West Ham’s win over Brentford, and fans should be crying out for the option to sign him permanently.

Axel Disasi proves his worth in West Ham vs Brentford

The signing of Disasi has added stability and physicality to the defence, while Konstantinos Mavropanos has put his bad run of form behind him.

It feels as though the Frenchman has improved his teammates’ performances, and it’s clear that he has already shown a lot of passion for the Hammers.

Against Brentford, he was imperious, making 11 clearances, including eight with his head.

Before the game went to penalties, Brentford were pushing hard for a winning goal, but Disasi stepped up numerous times to deny them from scoring at the death.

And that’s something we’ve also become accustomed to in the top flight.

According to Sofascore, he has recorded a successful pass accuracy of 90.3 per cent, while also completing 60.9 per cent of his long balls in the Premier League this campaign.

Disasi has been a brilliant signing for West Ham, and if he keeps up his current form, then the Hammers could favour their chances of avoiding relegation.

Prior to his arrival, the Hammers had the worst defence in the league, but their recent run of one defeat in the last seven games is partly thanks to him and Mavropanos.

Why Konstantinos Mavropanos should be the one who partners Disasi

While he’ll get the headlines for scoring the decisive penalty in an emphatic manner, his underlying numbers were also very good against Brentford.

He won 75 per cent of his ground duels while also making seven passes in the final third at the London Stadium.

Nuno Espirito Santo has chopped and changed his central defenders in the past, but it’s clear that he now prefers the Greece international over Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman.

With 29 interceptions in the Premier League this campaign, Mavropanos is clearly not afraid to step out from the back and play the ball forward.

His qualities complement Disasi perfectly, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if both defenders started together for every remaining game this season.