Brentford vs West Ham prediction: ENGLAND: FA Cup betting tips on match 2023-01-06 17:30.
High on a mightily impressive 3-1 Premier League (PL) victory over Liverpool at the Gtech Community Stadium on Monday, Brentford make a swift return to home soil looking to make it beyond the FA Cup third round for the fifth successive year. The Bees might believe they hold a psychological advantage in achieving that feat, as they beat opponents West Ham 2-0 in league action at the end of 2022.
While Brentford have proved to be imperious in the PL since its restart (W2, D1), the Bees haven’t found domestic cup action plain sailing this campaign, having been knocked out of the Carabao Cup here by League Two Gillingham on penalties back in November. That doesn’t make good reading ahead of hosting a fellow PL side, with Brentford winning just one of their last 19 FA Cup matches against top-flight opponents (D4, L14).
It takes a lot for football to pale into insignificance for most, but the sad passing of joint West Ham chairman David Gold in midweek certainly put West Ham’s game against Leeds on the backburner. There was little to put a smile back on Hammers fans' faces on the pitch either, with a 2-2 draw against Leeds symptomatic of what’s been a poor league season for their side, who surprisingly find themselves occupying a bottom three spot.
Perhaps the FA Cup will provide some temporary relief from those league struggles, and having not fallen at the third round stage since 2016/17, the omens would appear good. That is perhaps until you consider that West Ham have been eliminated in each of their last seven all-London FA Cup ties, last knocking out a fellow side from the capital back in 1989!
Players to watch: With doubts over the fitness of Ivan Toney, Brentford may again lean on Yoane Wissa, whose last five Brentford goals have all arrived after the 40th minute. Despite a professional career spanning over a decade, West Ham’s Michail Antonio has only scored four career FA Cup goals, three times netting his side’s last goal on the day.
Hot streak: None of Brentford’s last 11 home FA Cup games have been drawn (W6, L5).