Credit: Tung Manh Phan

Cameron Smith

Wed 29 April 2026 8:10, UK

Brentford are poised to play a significant role in the relegation battle on Saturday when they welcome West Ham United.

The Hammers arrive buoyed by a vital result last time out, Callum Wilson striking late to seal a 2-1 victory over Everton at the London Stadium.

For the second consecutive week, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are preparing to face one of the division’s European hopefuls, with Keith Andrews’ Brentford currently sitting ninth in the Premier League table.

The Bees, meanwhile, will be eager to reignite their own ambitions after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday.

Ahead of the contest at the Gtech Community Stadium, West Ham Zone takes a closer look at the key details.

Form guide

The Bees have been one of the league’s surprise packages since Andrews succeeded Thomas Frank last summer, but their momentum has faded in recent weeks.

Five draws from their last six league outings have left Brentford without a win since February, a run that has dealt a significant blow to their hopes of securing continental football.

West Ham, meanwhile, head into the weekend 17th in the table after taking seven points from their last three league matches.

Brentford (last six games all comps): LDDDDL

West Ham (last six games all comps): WDWLLD

Head-to-head

Only a Premier League fixture since Brentford’s promotion in 2021, this is a match-up in which the Bees have largely held the upper hand over West Ham.

In their Premier League meetings, Brentford have won seven and drawn one.

There is, however, one recent bright spot for the Hammers, after they overcame Brentford earlier this season in the FA Cup, edging through 7-5 on penalties.

Jarrod Bowen remains the leading scorer in this fixture with five goals, one more than current Manchester United winger Bryan Mbeumo, who has four.

Team news and predicted lineups

Heading into Saturday’s clash in West London, Nuno will be buoyed by the luxury of a fully fit squad.

One change, however, could be on the cards, with Saturday’s match-winner Wilson pushing for a recall in place of the struggling Pablo.

The experienced forward may be asked to partner the lively Taty Castellanos in attack, and his influence could prove crucial in the closing weeks of the campaign, with the Hammers’ survival fate still firmly in their own hands.

Brentford manager Andrews, meanwhile, continues to be without Jordan Henderson, Vitaly Janelt and Rico Henry, although the trio are expected back before the end of the season.

Former Liverpool man Fabio Carvalho is also still sidelined and is not expected to return until the summer as he continues his recovery from a lengthy spell out.

Predicted Brentford XI: Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Yarmoliuk, Jensen; Outtara, Damsgaard, Schade; Thiago

Predicted West Ham XI: Hermansen; Walker-Peters, Disasi, Mavropanos, Diouf; Soucek, Fernandes; Bowen, Castellanos, Summerville; Wilson

Brentford player to watch: Mikkel Damsgaard

While striker Igor Thiago is the league’s second-highest scorer with 21 goals, it is Danish midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard who makes Brentford tick.

With the Bees at home, they may look to the Dane to prise open the Hammers’ defence.

Drifting into pockets between the lines, Damsgaard will demand the closest attention from Mateus Fernandes and Tomas Soucek if West Ham are to stop him supplying chances for Thiago and Kevin Schade, who have struck 28 league goals between them.

We say: Brentford 1-2 West Ham

Another significant win in the fight for survival has put the Hammers in a strong position to claim three more points against an out-of-sorts Brentford side.

With rivals Tottenham not in action until Sunday, the opportunity is there for Nuno’s side to open up a five-point gap by the end of the weekend.

First, however, they must maintain their momentum on the trip across West London.