Graham Potter is buzzing with anticipation as he looks forward to seeing a revitalized West Ham side take on Brentford this Saturday. It’s been a woeful season for the Hammers, with Julen Lopetegui swiftly replaced as manager as the team struggled in the bottom half of the Premier League table. While Potter’s appointment has given them a lift, they have still been plagued by injuries.
However, a 13-day gap between matches has given West Ham a chance to regroup. Their last game was against Chelsea before the fourth round of the FA Cup, so they’ve had some time to reset. Potter is feeling optimistic, stating, “We’ve tried to use the time we’ve had [since Chelsea] as well as possible. The players have trained well, and we’ve used the opportunity to get the injured players back as well. So, it’s been a combination of a few things, as well as the recovery of the players who have been playing. We’ll go into the last 14 games of the season with a bit of freshness now. That’s something we’re really excited about. We’re going to try and pick up as many points as we can, starting at home against Brentford on Saturday.”
Injuries have left West Ham particularly short in attack, but the loan signing of Evan Ferguson, whom Potter previously worked with at Brighton and Hove Albion, has provided a boost. Potter commented, “He’s trained well since he’s come in, and he’s certainly showed his quality. The situation with Evan is that he hasn’t played that much football recently, so we have to be a bit careful with how many minutes he plays and whether he starts. But he’s been great, and I think he’s only going to get stronger and better during the time he’s here with us. He’s ready to help the team, and we’ll make the decision about his involvement as we get closer to the game.”
In terms of players to watch, Jarrod Bowen is likely to lead the line for West Ham, with Ferguson still getting up to speed. Bowen recently returned from injury and is the team’s second-highest goalscorer in the Premier League. He has scored five times against Brentford in the competition, only netting more against Wolves.
For Brentford, Mikkel Damsgaard has been named their player of the month for the past four months. He poses a significant threat to West Ham, as he leads the Premier League in assists, chances created, pass attempts into the final third, tackles, and duels won this season.
As for a match prediction, a draw seems likely. West Ham and Brentford have both averaged exactly 1.0 points per game in London derbies since last season. While Brentford has won their past two away games, they have never won three in a row on the road in the top flight. West Ham is also unbeaten in their previous two Premier League meetings with Brentford after losing the first five.
According to Opta’s win probability, West Ham has a 40.5% chance of winning, Brentford has a 34.4% chance, and a draw has a 25.1% chance.
