West Ham United are the visitors on Sunday for the penultimate home game of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign.
Last Sunday’s 1-0 win over Manchester United all but secured the Hammers’ survival after a tough campaign. However, those league struggles could all be forgotten over the next fortnight, with AZ Alkmaar standing between David Moyes’ side and a first European final since 1976.
A single-goal defeat at Liverpool was Brentford's first loss in four, a run which has Thomas Frank’s side firmly in the top 10 heading into the final three games of the campaign.
THE OPPOSITION
Hammers hunting European success
Historically a mid-table Premier League club, West Ham United had put the cat among the pigeons in recent years - and it was so refreshing to see.
The Hammers finished sixth in 2020/21 and seventh in 2021/22, underlining the sterling work David Moyes had done in his second spell in charge in east London, and even progressed to the Europa League semi-final last year - the first time they had reached the last four of a European competition since finishing as runners-up in the 1975/76 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Though West Ham were forced to settle for a Europa Conference League place this term, the fact they had strengthened in multiple areas suggested fans were in for another exhilarating ride.
It has certainly been exhilarating - but likely not for the reasons they might have expected.
The Hammers were bottom of the Premier League after three games - of which they lost all three and failed to score - and 15th by the World Cup break in mid-November, by which point they had lost nine of 15 league games.
The last of those came at home to Leicester, where they were booed off by their own fans. Speaking immediately afterwards, Moyes said he understood the frustration, given the heights his team had hit in seasons prior.
But that only really told half of the story. West Ham had only qualified for the play-off round of the Conference League, so were forced to play a two-legged tie against Danish side Viborg, in which they triumphed 6-1 on aggregate, before a full group stage, in which they won all six games, and a Carabao Cup third-round tie against Blackburn Rovers, which they lost 9-10 on penalties, was thrown in for good measure.
Their tally of 24 matches to that point was more than any other side in the division and any speculation about Moyes’ future was somewhat misguided.
There was sad news at the beginning of the year, when joint-chair David Gold passed away at the age of 86 after a short illness, while on the pitch, the league form has, for the most part, suffered since the restart, with Moyes’ troops unable to record successive victories and on the fringes of the relegation battle as a result.
They have continued in near-perfect fashion in Europe, though, seeing off AEK Larnaca and Gent to secure a two-legged semi-final against AZ Alkmaar. Only two matches against the Eredivisie outfit stand between them and a trip to Prague for the final on 7 June.
What will be interesting to see is how the east Londoners perform on the big stage, given the fact their 1-0 win over Manchester United at London Stadium on 7 May has moved them just that little bit further from the relegation battle that, in truth, they should be nowhere near.
THE GAMEPLAN
With football.london journalist Jonty Colman
Jonty Colman of football.london discusses West Ham's European adventure, David Moyes’ preferred set-up and the players to keep an eye out for on Sunday in Hot off the Press.
"[Moyes] has gone with a back three against Brentford both times this season, in an attempt to match up with their style and, as it is away, he may look to do the same again, though he has largely stuck with a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 for most games.
"He was forced into a back three against Manchester City last week but, if I was to guess, based on what it has looked like recently, it would be a 4-3-3."
When asked about the Hammers players to keep an eye on, he added: "From an attacking perspective, probably Said Benrahma.
"He scored his sixth league goal against United, albeit it was basically thrown in for him, and he has 10 for the season, with only Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen having scored more.
"Antonio is in a great patch of form, too, and he looks to be back to his former self, but depending on the AZ tie, Danny Ings may be given a run-out at Brentford."
TEAM NEWS
Ajer could feature against West Ham
Thomas Frank has said that defender Kristoffer Ajer will be available for Sunday's game against West Ham.
Ajer was on the bench against Liverpool last weekend and has played twice for the B team since his recovery from a calf problem, which included 90 minutes in their Premier League Cup win against Blackburn Under-21s on Tuesday.
Thomas Strakosha (calf) is a doubt while the season is almost certainly over for Pontus Jansson (hamstring), Christian Norgaard (Achilles) and Keane Lewis-Potter (knee).
West Ham United have a fairly clean bill of health after Thursday’s Europa Conference League semi-final first-leg win against AZ Alkmaar.
Gianluca Scamacca (knee), Kurt Zouma (ankle) and Vladimir Coufal (hamstring) are set to be the Hammers’ only absentees on Sunday.
IN THE DUGOUT
David Moyes
Moyes' playing career began with Celtic, where he won the Scottish Premier Division in 1982.
Spells with Cambridge United, Bristol City, Shrewsbury Town, Dunfermline Athletic and Hamilton followed before he joined Preston North End in 1993.
As player, coach, and then manager, Moyes spent almost a decade at Deepdale winning promotion from the fourth tier as a player in 1996 and the third tier as a manager in 2000.
In March 2002, the Glasgow-born coach took charge at Everton - a position he would hold for 11 years.
He was twice voted LMA Manager of the Year while at Goodison Park before Manchester United tasked him to replace Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.
But his tenure at Old Trafford lasted just 10 months before he was sacked with United seventh in the Premier League.
Year-long spells with Real Sociedad and Sunderland followed, before Moyes took over at West Ham United in November 2017. He saved the Hammers from relegation but left in May 2018 after not being offered a new contract.
He returned to east London in December 2019 to replace Manuel Pellegrini. West Ham finished seventh in Moyes’ first full season before going one better last time around, as well as reaching the last four of the Europa League.
LAST LEAGUE MEETING
West Ham United 0 Brentford 2 (Premier League, 30 December 2022)
Ivan Toney and Josh Dasilva got the goals as Brentford ended 2022 with a consummate victory over West Ham United at London Stadium.
West Ham had more possession and territory but were kept at bay by a well-disciplined and resolute Brentford side who struck twice in the first half.
Toney grabbed his 12th of the campaign, matching his tally from last season, with a close-range finish on the quarter-hour, before Dasilva capitalised on some slack defending to make it two shortly before the interval.
It was a similar story after the break with the Hammers struggling to create any real openings, bar a late Craig Dawson header.
The victory, Brentford’s second in succession on the road, meant Frank’s side headed into 2023 comfortably inside the Premier League’s top half.
MATCH OFFICIALS
World Cup referee Oliver to take charge on Sunday
Referee: Michael Oliver
Assistants: Lee Betts and Dan Cook
Fourth official: Thomas Bramall
VAR: Robert Jones
Assistant VAR: Ian Hussin
Son of Football League referee Clive Oliver, Northumberland official Michael Oliver took up the whistle at the age of 14.
Eight years later, he was officiating the Conference Play-Off final at Wembley, becoming the youngest man to referee a game at the national stadium.
He progressed through the ranks to take the League One Play-Off final in 2009 and became the youngest top-flight referee when he oversaw Birmingham City versus Blackburn Rovers in August 2010, aged 25.
In 2016, Oliver was appointed to the UEFA list of Champions League referees, four years after his addition to the FIFA list.
His international resume includes the 2022 UEFA Super Cup, games at Euro 2020 and Qatar 2022, and matches in the Champions League, Europa League and international qualifiers.
His first two Brentford games were both in League Two. A 1-1 draw away at Rochdale in October 2007 was followed 12 months later by another 1-1 draw, this time at Grimsby Town.
He took charge of the Bees' League Cup third-round giant killing of Everton in September 2010, before awarding us the last-minute penalty against Doncaster Rovers which Marcello Trotta missed on the final day of the 2012/13 season.
In the Premier League, Oliver oversaw three victories during the 2021/22 Premier League season - against Arsenal, Watford and Everton - plus an Emirates FA Cup defeat to the Toffees, while this year’s one outing was April’s 3-3 draw at Brighton.
West Ham United 22/23
341 fouls - 17th in Premier League
42 yellow cards - fewest in Premier League
0 red cards - joint-fewest in Premier League