Early Schade Strike Seals Victory for Brentford Over London Rivals West Ham

Brentford ended a dismal streak of nine away matches without a win (D2, L7) by recording their first-ever trio of consecutive Premier League victories on the road, narrowly defeating West Ham United at the London Stadium.

True to their reputation for quick starts, Brentford took just four minutes to grab the lead when Mark Flekken collected a corner and launched a rapid counter-attack.

The ball found its way to Kevin Schade, whose initial attempt was deflected by Alphonse Areola’s stretched foot. With the ball looping dangerously, Areola was forced to scramble it away, but Schade was perfectly positioned to follow up and nudge it over the line.

West Ham struggled to find their rhythm and almost saw Brentford double their lead 20 minutes later through Yoanne Wissa, only for a tight offside decision to deny what would have been a simple finish from Lucas Paqueta’s assist.

Away supporters must have felt frustrated not to extend their first-half advantage, given their clear dominance, as Schade struck the near post and Wissa’s celebrations were again thwarted by the assistant’s flag.

Graham Potter’s unbeaten record against Brentford (W5, D1) was under serious threat based on the Hammers’ lacklustre performance in the first half, prompting him to make three changes at the interval.

One of the substitutions was Evan Ferguson, a former player of Potter’s at Brighton & Hove Albion, and he nearly made an immediate impact, laying off a pass for Mohammed Kudus, who sent a bouncing ball over the crossbar.

Reinvigorated, the hosts came back into the contest, but Brentford reacted by adopting a more cautious defensive strategy.

West Ham’s last seven matches had seen goals scored in or beyond the 70th minute, a hopeful sign for the home fans as the match entered the closing stages with their side still behind.

Despite West Ham’s resurgence, the visitors maintained their strong defensive performance in the second half, securing all three points in an exciting London derby.

With just one win in their last eight matches across all competitions (D1, L6), the Hammers continue to encounter difficulties this season, and Potter has yet to right the ship.

Consequently, West Ham remains in 16th place, but a 10-point gap from the relegation zone may provide some reassurance against a potential relegation battle.

Brentford, on the other hand, finds themselves in a more optimistic position, sitting 11th and in reach of the top half of the table.