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West Ham must overcome their Brentford hoodoo if they are to end their winless run this evening.
The Hammers have lost all five league encounters with Thomas Frank’s side, with last season’s FA Cup third-round tie their only victory over the Bees since 1993.
Manager David Moyes is in desperate need of a positive result after eight games without a win. Some supporters called for him to be sacked after a third straight defeat at Nottingham Forest last weekend and a home loss to Brentford would bring more scrutiny.
But the 60-year-old has stressed that the uncertainty is not the cause of the club’s downturn in form and top scorer Jarrod Bowen insisted players need to shoulder responsibility.
‘We all know we have to stand up and confront these tough spells, because it’s down to us to change it,’ he said.
‘I had a little niggle in January but I’m back to it now and it’s up to me to help us win games.
‘I believe in the quality of this squad and I know that when we’re at our best we can go on unbeaten runs. It’s been difficult but football comes with its good and bad moments and we just have to work our way through it.’
Brentford boss Frank, whose side sit five points above the relegation zone, believes Moyes deserves more credit.
‘He has done a top job,’ he said. ‘They won a European trophy last year. Every team has a spell when they are not perfect, maybe West Ham are going through that.’
The Hammers’ poor run has coincided with an injury to Lucas Paqueta but he is back in contention for tonight. Crucially, West Ham must keep Ivan Toney quiet. He has scored in two of his three previous league games against them.
