Brentford thrash West Ham to move up to sixth & boost Tottenham's chances of survival

[p]It was almost a nightmare start for the Hammers, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ouattara-dango/GvqREHp3/"]Dango Ouattara[/a] flashing an effort just wide of the post inside the opening minute.[/p][p][b]The dreaded goal came midway through the first half, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kayode-michael/CrxJQ1Q8/"]Kayode[/a] on the scene to help smuggle the ball over the line after it had rebounded off the woodwork. On review, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mavropanos-konstantinos/zBXgM0Xa/"]Konstantinos Mavropanos[/a] was given the unwanted credit, having been adjudged to have got the decisive touch.[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gabriel/tEcnVXMS/"]Nuno Espirito Santo[/a]’s side produced a strong response, and only the post denied [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/castellanos-valentin/ET4rsqIP/"]Taty Castellanos[/a] an instant equaliser from his clever curling effort.[/p][p]The visitors then appeared to have got the leveller, with Mavropanos finding the net at the right end this time, but VAR identified a marginal offside to cut short the celebrations.[/p][p]The Bees should have compounded the Hammers’ misery when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hermansen-mads/fq8hQjAg/"]Mads Hermansen[/a] was left in no man’s land after dashing out rashly, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/damsgaard-mikkel/WIxH5hxa/"]Mikkel Damsgaard[/a] could not find the unguarded net from outside the box.[/p][p]The woodwork was struck yet again before the break, with Castellanos thwarted for a second time, while Hermansen had to be at his best at the other end to deny [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lewis-potter-keane/UyeRftbc/"]Keane Lewis-Potter[/a] from close range.[/p][image alt="Momentum" id="f027c2b4-47af-478b-9075-c2fe0b14203e" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="03698233-5202-411d-b8f8-f030fb9e8515" original-width="1920" original-height="1080" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]West Ham[/a] got off to the worst possible start in the second half, with a rash challenge from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/malick-diouf/n1SNJhEe/"]El Hadji Malick Diouf[/a] gifting [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodriguez-thiago/MmJb4MzQ/"]Igor Thiago[/a] the chance to double the lead from the penalty spot.[/p][p][b]The league’s second-highest scorer duly converted, leaving the Irons with a mountain to climb and seemingly draining all the fight out of them, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brentford/xYe7DwID/"]Brentford[/a] settled into a pattern of comfortable control.[/b][/p][p]A moment of magic from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/summerville-crysencio/EaRET7t6/"]Crysencio Summerville[/a] threatened to make things interesting, but the away fans watched in disbelief as his effort found the crossbar once again after a weaving run.[/p][p][b]Into the final 10 minutes, Damsgaard settled the issue once and for all, turning sharply in the box before steering the ball into the bottom corner.[/b][/p][p]The win was just Brentford’s third in their last 16 London derbies, with all of those triumphs coming against today’s opponents.[/p][p]Victory moves them up to sixth in the table, following [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brighton/2XrRecc3/"]Brighton[/a]’s loss at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle[/a].[/p][p]West Ham’s first defeat in four games keeps them firmly mired in the scrap for survival, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Tottenham[/a] will get the chance to send them into the bottom three with a win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Aston Villa[/a] on Sunday.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kayode-michael/CrxJQ1Q8/"]Michael Kayode[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brentford/xYe7DwID/"]Brentford[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/brentford-xYe7DwID/west-ham-Cxq57r8g/?mid=EmnRINZ2"]Catch up on the match here[/a][/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="662e8a7b-a09d-4064-97c3-dfb1e1688d12" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="bb161b5c-9381-49d7-8e88-36c3aad53dd9" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /]