Brentford travel to east London to face West Ham United on Friday.

We spoke with Roshane Thomas of The Athletic to get the latest on David Moyes' side.

West Ham returned to Premier League action with a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Boxing Day and they are 16th in the table at the time of speaking. What have you made of their season to date?

It has been an up-and-down season and that has, largely, been due to the number of signings they have made. It is always going to take a while for new players to integrate into the team and get used to a new style of play.

That has coincided with West Ham struggling in a few games; my mind goes to the Chelsea game, when VAR went against them, and the Nottingham Forest game, where they created so many chances, but just couldn't score.

There are a multitude of reasons why West Ham have struggled and are now in a precarious league position but, hopefully, the new signings will settle in the second half of the season. Once they do, they could well feel like new signings again.

How did preparations for the return of domestic football go for the Hammers?

David Moyes was against the idea of warm weather training, so he decided to stay at Rush Green, where they were treated to double sessions. In terms of matches, they beat Cambridge 4-2, won 3-1 away at Udinese and drew 1-1 against Fulham in their final run-out.

It was all about getting that winning mentality back because, before the break, the form was really bad. If they can bring that winning mentality back, hopefully they can do well for the rest of the season.

What do West Ham need to do in the January transfer window, which will open shortly after this game?

It's a tough one because, considering they spent a lot of money in the summer, I think it's very likely it will be a quiet month for them. I would say they could improve the defence, though.

Craig Dawson could leave in the summer due to family reasons after being close to joining Wolves a few months ago, though West Ham put a block on that. If he were to leave, I could see them going in for a replacement, but I think it could be the loan market that West Ham explore.

Which player should Brentford fans keep an eye on?

Said Benrahma. He is on form right now and looks like a guy with a point to prove. West Ham fans see the Algerian as being good, but not consistent enough - he could play well in one game and then go missing for the next three.

This season, quietly, he has been one of the key performers for the Hammers and, dare I say it, he's the one player that can rival Declan Rice for the Player of the Year award, that's how great he has been.

I'm happy for him, because it hasn't necessarily always been easy for him at the club. He is doing well and has scored important goals in the league, so he's the one player Brentford fans should look out for, if they weren't already!

How is Moyes likely to set up?

He rotated quite a bit in the friendlies. Against Cambridge, if memory serves me well, he played 4-2-3-1 in the first half and then 4-4-2 in the second. I think he'll revert to the former against Brentford.

The back four takes care of itself, but what I want to see is whether he plays Lucas Paqueta in the number 10 role or alongside Rice in the midfield two. Quite often, it has been Rice and Tomas Soucek, but, for whatever reason, that partnership hasn't worked out over the last 18 months.

Brentford did the double over West Ham last season. What's your score prediction for this one?

They need to keep Ivan Toney quiet, that's for sure. Although I think Brentford will score, I'm going for a 2-1 win for West Ham.