Add as preferred source on Google
West Ham United will feel they could do without facing a 21-goal Premier League marksman in Igor Thiago. Especially on a weekend which will go a long way to deciding the fate of Nuno Espirito Santo’s survival hopefuls.
Only Erling Haaland has more top-flight goals this season than Thiago.
The Hammers faithful know the threat of Brentford’s number nine all too well. He opened the scoring during Nuno Espirito Santo’s London Stadium debut in October; a dismal 2-0 defeat which really set the tone for what was less of a ‘new manager bounce’ and more a continuation of oh-so familiar misery.
How would you explain West Ham’s IMPROVED set-piece record?
Nuno was ‘really concerned’ at one point…
West Ham face Brentford a more resilient, defensively-secure outfit six months later, however. After letting in nine set-piece goals in their first nine games, only eight more have come in the following 25. Furthermore, five clean sheets have been secured in the nine matches since Nuno settled on that Konstantinos Mavropanos – Axel Disasi partnership.
Igor Thiago ripped West Ham United to shreds in Brentford loss
Igor Thiago had the run of the London Stadium on a night when Brazil’s new number nine bullied Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo. Kilman failed to cut out a simple long ball in behind, while Todibo was drawn across on the cover, leaving Thiago free to clip over Alphonse Areola.
That kind of long ball, meanwhile, is something Keith Andrews’ ninth-place side tend to opt for more than most. Brentford average the most long passes attempted in the Premier League. They sit 12th in the possession table too, albeit seven places ahead of West Ham.
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Often, Brentford will look to go direct into Thiago. Only Thierno Barry [Everton] and Dominic Calvert-Lewin [Leeds] have won more aerial duels among Premier League centre-forwards.
Considering that Todibo and Kilman are some of the weakest centre-halves in the competition when it comes to aerial duels, it is no surprise that the Hammers struggled to cope with Thiago’s presence in that 2-0 home defeat in October.
He contests the third-most aerial duels in the league, in addition to winning the 13th most.
But while Kilman and Todibo could hardly have been more obliging, Thiago should not expect so much charity from Konstantinos Mavropanos or Axel Disasi.
What changes are you making to this team? Just don’t think Wilson should start 😬
Credit: GRV Media Dinos Mavropanos and Axel Disasi could quell Thiago threat
Mavropanos wins the most aerial duels and completes comfortably the most clearances of any West Ham player. Statistically speaking, West Ham have picked up the sixth-most points in the division since Disasi made his debut nine games ago. Five clean sheets have been recorded in those nine games too.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher watched on in awe as Mavropanos and Disasi kept the imposing Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jorgen Strand Larsen at arm’s length during the recent 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace, completing 15 clearances between them.
A similar challenge awaits this weekend. A challenge Mavropanos and Disasi will embrace, rather than shy away from.
“The centre-backs were fantastic,” Carragher told Sky Sports. “The amount of times Mavropanos and Disasi got their head on the ball… A joy to watch.”
No wonder Nuno appears so much more confident about West Ham’s ability to combat Igor Thiago’s threat, and Brentford’s direct gameplan, six months on.
“Brentford, it is not only the set-pieces. They create a lot of problems,” Nuno said of the challenge awaiting his backline during a pre-match press conference.
“We know ourselves, Brentford knows us, and we know Brentford. We have to perform well, prepare ourselves, and the boys are doing it. We have to compete against a tough team, that’s our priority, always trying to maintain our levels of performance.”
“We are positive and confident that we can handle [these] situations.”
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox