West Ham 0 Brentford 1: Hammers struggling in 16th after Kevin Schade’s early goal puts Bees just 10 points off top four

Sponsored by. ON the day Graham Potter hoped to show off his attacking riches, West Ham’s woeful defence let him down. A first half of comically calamitous defending from the Hammers allowed Kevin Schade to inflict a fourth defeat in six games under Potter. There has been clear progress in some areas since he replaced Julen Lopetegui last month, but this was a significant step backwards. There was a rare whiff of optimism around the London Stadium.

Potter had a gap of two weeks since their last game and was able to start the trio of Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus for the first time since he was appointed. New signing Evan Ferguson was also named in the squad and given the second half to show what he can do. While it is an attractive attacking line, the West Ham defence remains substandard and sapped the hope from the stands after just four minutes.

A soft challenge from Emerson allowed Bryan Mbeumo to nod Yoane Wissa’s ball onto Schade – before a calamity between Alphonse Areola and the hapless Konstantinos Mavropanos unfolded. Areola got a foot to the forward’s first effort, sending it looping towards goal. Mavropanos came careering in, hooked the ball off the line but straight back to Schade, whose strike just made it over the line before Areola got a glove to it.

JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS. This is nothing new in Stratford, though. Schade’s was the 10th goal West Ham have conceded in the opening 10 minutes this season. After Areola saved a low Mbeumo shot, only the offside flag saved the Hammers from another cock-up. Paqueta passed straight to Mbeumo, free to roam on the edge of the box, who picked out Wissa to finish – though the forward was just off.

West Ham looked nervous and were pinned back, unable to do anything meaningful with the ball. There was no stemming the Brentford chances as the visitors continued to plunder the wide open gaps left by their generous hosts. Wissa sent one high and wide before Schade rattled the foot of the post. Again, the officials were covering for West Ham’s incompetence as the finest of offside calls against Kristoffer Ajer ruled out another Wissa goal upon review.

West Ham were so haphazard that Potter made a triple change at the break – though the club could not even get that right as new signing Ferguson was announced as midfielder Guido Rodriguez. Ferguson clearly made little impact on the stadium announcer, but quickly made things happen, cutting back for Kudus, who fired over the bar from eight yards. The Hammers suddenly had some energy and verve. Paqueta saw a shot deflected over the bar before both Ferguson and fellow sub Ollie Scarles also won corners with their attempts.

Brentford were holding firm against West Ham’s response but soon lost Sepp Van Den Berg to injury following a challenge by Edson Alvarez. The changes had also nullified Brentford’s constant counter-attacks from the first half as the Hammers searched for a leveller. Paqueta won a free-kick which was deflected wide, though a goal kick was given, before Bowen reacted furiously at not being awarded a penalty having been brought down by Keane Lewis-Potter.

West Ham were showing promise, but still lacking a clinical finish as Ferguson sent a low strike straight at Mark Flekken. But the Irishman had given the Brentford defence something to do at last and looks a promising addition. Scarles fizzed another effort just over the bar from the edge of the box as Brentford sat in and looked for openings to relieve the pressure – underlining the benefit of a competent defence.