Brentford collected their maiden Premier League victory on the road this season, spoiling Nuno Espirito Santo’s debut home fixture as West Ham manager. The visitors, who had lost all three of their previous away games, outclassed their hosts throughout and left London Stadium with a fully deserved 2–0 win.
The breakthrough came just before the interval when West Ham’s defense failed to deal with a long ball forward. Kevin Schade flicked it into the path of Igor Thiago, whose low effort squirmed past Alphonse Areola despite the goalkeeper’s touch. Thiago briefly thought he had doubled the advantage, but the assistant referee’s flag and an old-style offside review ruled the strike out. The decision followed a rare moment when the new semi-automated offside system was unavailable due to a global technical outage.
West Ham supporters voiced their frustration as their team trudged off at halftime. In response, Nuno reshaped his back line by introducing three substitutes during the break, but the changes brought little improvement. Brentford continued to dictate the tempo, with Schade striking the crossbar from close range midway through the second half.
Mathias Jensen sealed the contest deep into stoppage time, thundering his shot high into the net to confirm a one-sided contest. As the final whistle blew, the home fans’ discontent returned, while Brentford celebrated a commanding and much-needed success.
Andrews’ side impress across the pitch
The result marked Keith Andrews’ first away win as a Premier League manager and lifted Brentford from 16th up to 13th place. His players dominated possession and passing, finishing with 58% of the ball and more shots in a single match than in any other league outing this season.
Their 15 first-half attempts equalled a club record at this level, while 22 total efforts and 451 completed passes reflected their control of proceedings. England international Jordan Henderson orchestrated play from midfield, supported by a tireless and disciplined team display. The Bees also carried constant danger from set pieces, including Michael Kayode’s powerful long throws.
Opportunities continued to fall for the visitors: Nathan Collins sent a header over, Thiago rattled the bar again, and Mikkel Damsgaard forced a stop from Areola. Dango Ouattara missed two chances in the air, and Keane Lewis-Potter went close with a curling effort. Jensen’s late finish ensured the margin finally matched Brentford’s dominance.
Protests and poor performance mar Nuno’s home debut
For West Ham, the evening could hardly have gone worse. Rows of empty seats reflected ongoing fan protests organized by Hammers United, calling for the departures of chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady. Many supporters still resent the move from Upton Park to London Stadium, believing the club lost its identity with the relocation.
The atmosphere around the team has been tense for weeks, with demonstrations also taking place before Graham Potter’s final match in charge. Concerns over ownership, spending, and direction have persisted, and the team’s display offered little reassurance.
Aside from a solo surge by Crysencio Summerville and a low shot from Jarrod Bowen, West Ham offered almost nothing in attack. Nuno’s half-time reshuffle did not change their fortunes, and boos greeted his later decision to leave Callum Wilson on the bench. When Konstantinos Mavropanos limped off with a hamstring issue near the end, the Hammers finished with ten men and no substitutions remaining.
Nuno, who began the season at Nottingham Forest before being dismissed and later hired by West Ham, now faces an uphill battle to turn the club’s fortunes around. With his side still languishing in 19th place, the scale of the challenge in avoiding relegation was made painfully clear under the London Stadium lights.
