Michail Antonio could push David Moyes towards West Ham United sack as footage emerges v Brentford
West Ham United supporters won’t be eager to reflect on their clash with Brentford on Saturday (4 November) as they were put through an emotional rollercoaster.
Having fallen behind early in the contest, goals from Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus gave the Irons hope of ending their torrid run of form in the Premier League only for Brentford to score twice in the second half to ensure they came away 3-2 winners.
While the result alone was frustrating for the away supporters what will perhaps be even more frustrating is the fact that they should have extended their lead late in the first half, only for Michail Antonio to make a costly mistake and deny Said Benrahma an almost certain goal.
Benrahmas got a tap in here, dreadful to watch from Antonio pic.twitter.com/eDqld0km5B
In footage shared to Twitter via West Ham Xtra (4 November), Antonio almost puts in a defensive clearance to prevent a cross from reaching the Algerian winger who would have had a relatively easy tap-in at the far post to send the Hammers into the break 3-1 up.
While Brentford could have still scored twice in the second half and may have even still found a way to win or at least draw the match, it feels as though Antonio’s accidental defensive intervention could well have cost West Ham a Premier League win.
Pressure has been beginning to mount on Moyes, with supporters and some pundits claiming that the Irons boss should be sacked following the recent poor run of form experienced by his side both domestically and in Europe.
The Carabao Cup win over Arsenal on Wednesday (1 November) eased that pressure, with reports emerging that it would take six consecutive defeats in all competitions for the Scotsman to be sacked at the London Stadium [Claret & Hugh, 30 October].
While that would suggest he still needs to lose five more consecutive games to leave the Hammers for a second time, the manner of the defeat at the Brentford Community Stadium will have likely ensured that some fans will remain unsettled.
Had Antonio tucked that chance away, or more obviously left it for Benrahma to slot in at the back post, nobody would have been criticising West Ham and even fewer supporters would be calling for Moyes to leave the London Stadium.
That one mistake alone is unlikely to see the former Manchester United boss sacked in the coming days or weeks, but it has certainly ramped up the pressure in East London once again.
In other West Ham news, Paul Merson was left stunned by an “outstanding” moment of quality from one Irons star against Brentford
