Nuno Espirito Santo’s London Stadium debut was ruined by a dreadful West Ham United performance as Igor Thiago and Mathias Jensen secured a 2-0 Brentford win on Monday night.
Here is how Hammers News rated Nuno’s players.
23. Alphonse Areola 7/10
Nuno continues to select Areola over Mads Hermansen, and understandably so. On a night when West Ham United’s defenders performed abysmally once again, Areola kept the score down almost single-handedly
The experienced Frenchman denied Igor Thiago seemingly on countless occasions. That Brentford fans will go home disappointed not to have won by three or four is testament to Areola, even if he did get two hands to Thiago’s first-half effort.
No chance with Mathias Jensen’s late clincher.
Left Damsgaard free for a header Areola did well to keep out. Todibo offered little resistance as Brentford finally opened the scoring, and was lucky to see a second strike from Thiago ruled out for offside on the brink of half-time.
Bailed out by Mavropanos early in the second half after Schade left him choking on his dust again.
3. Max Kilman 2/10
That he and Todibo cost West Ham a combined fee of nearly £80 million is damning.
30. Ollie Scarles – 4/10
Scarles surprisingly made his first Premier League start of the season, in an unfamiliar right-back role too. It was a decision which backfired. Unable to get forward and fortunate when caught two-v-one at the back post during a Brentford corner, from which Ouattara headed wide.
Replaced at half-time.
25. Jean-Clair Todibo – 2/10
Dreadful. Jean-Clair Todibo appeared out of Nuno’s plans after he was left out against Everton and Arsenal. Perhaps it should have remained that way, too. Todibo actually started OK but fell off a proverbial cliff from then on.
Kilman was all over the place for Brentford opener, dangling a leg at the ball rather than simply heading it clear. Again, his physicality – or a lack thereof – was brutally exposed.
Summed up Kilman’s day when straightforward pass to set El Hadji Malick Diouf away was overhit and rolled out of play.
2. Kyle Walker-Peters – 3/10
While more accustomed to life at left-back than Scarles is on the right, Walker-Peters struggled defensively up against the speedy Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade.
Nice lay-off for a Bowen shot, West Ham’s first of note really, at the end of the first-half.
Replaced [to a chorus of confusion] by Guido Rodriguez on 70 minutes.
39. Andy Irving – 5/10
Scotland international Irving opted to stay at West Ham rather than chase regular first-team football in the second-tier. Nearly two months later, he finally got his chance.
It is clear what Irving brings – smart passing from his left foot and a decent set-piece delivery in the absence of James Ward-Prowse – but he perhaps lacks the mobility or defensive aggression to really stake a claim at this level
Lost Thiago from a trademark Brentford set-piece as the Brazilian hit the bar shortly before opening the scoring. Walker-Peters was then outpaced by Schade for goal.
Offered little going forward too, often checking back instead of racing down the outside.
Replaced at half-time.
28. Tomas Soucek – 6/10
Hard not to feel sorry for him at times. As Nuno chased the win in the second-half, and with Paqueta pushing forward, Soucek was left completely isolated almost as a one-man midfield.
On his first game back from suspension, Soucek did provide a valuable defensive contribution, putting his aerial prowess to very good use during a relentless surge of Brentford set-pieces. Even took a knock to the head at one point, drawing blood.
Started brightly here but couldn’t wrestle back control once Brentford started to dominate.
Replaced by Callum Marshall on 61 minutes.
18. Mateus Fernandes – 6/10
In comparison to Scarles and Walker-Peters, Fernandes was maybe a little unlucky to be replaced at half-time. Nuno admitted he doesn’t know Fernandes’ best position yet, and he used his compatriot in an advanced, left-sided role here after starting him as a more defensive midfielder at Arsenal.
Fernandes is at his most effective when driving forward from deep. He did that a few times early on as West Ham flew out of the blocks. Always looked to make something happen. A lovely, subtle touch set Summerville away for a dart into the Bees penalty area around the half-hour mark. Sacrificed as Nuno changed shape.
Replaced at half-time. As one of very few Hammers midfielders capable of running with the ball, maybe Nuno will feel as if Fernandes should have stayed on in hindsight.
7. Crysencio Summerville – 6/10
One of the few players willing to take responsibility, Summerville kept getting on the ball and always tried to make something happen. Unfortunately, with relatively little success.
Made a couple of great darting runs but Brentford defended well throughout. West Ham’s liveliest and most threatening player, but that is not saying much.
10. Lucas Paqueta – 4/10
Really disappointing. Paqueta saw plenty of the ball early on but failed to produce much of note at all. He dropped deeper when Fernandes made way but Paqueta’s use of the ball was uninspired and loose throughout.
Lashed one desperate shot high and wide.
20. Jarrod Bowen – 5/10
The West Ham skipper at least forced Brentford keeper Caoimhin Kelleher into a notable save with a trademark curling drive in first-half stoppage time.
Heroically cleared a header from Dango Ouattara off his own goalline. One the rare occasions he did look to get forward, Bowen often found himself crowded out.
Substitutes
29. Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 5/10
Drew a rare round of applause when a trademark sliding tackle snatched the ball from Damsgaard. Made a bit of a difference and may now look to reclaim his place in the XI.
12. El Hadji Malick Diouf – 4/10
Surprisingly left out of Nuno’s XI, Diouf’s introduction at half-time proved pretty ineffective. Didn’t do enough to stop Michael Kayode cross as Schade clattered the bar.
Diouf was also beaten too easily in the build up to Brentford’s second.
15. Konstantinos Mavropanos – 5/10
Made timely intervention to cut out Schade pass after another Todibo blunder. He and the Frenchman were nowhere near close enough to Brentford’s former Freiburg speedster soon after, though when he struck the woodwork.
Seems incapable of marking his man at times when crosses come in. A late injury forced West Ham to play the final few minutes with ten-men.
50. Callum Marshall – 4/10
Immediately tried to rough up the Brentford defenders with little success. Out-muscled and starved of service.
24. Guido Rodriguez – 3/10
That his introduction drew audible derision spoke volumes
