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Taty Castellanos was handed the start by Nuno Espirito Santo as West Ham are in desperate need of points against Brentford.
The Hammers went into the game two points clear of the relegation zone, but know that they need to get more points on the board to guarantee their safety.
Thus far, things have not panned out well at the G-Tech Community Stadium as the Bees have taken the lead courtesy of a Konstantinos Mavropanos own goal.
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Matthew Upson pleased with Taty Castellanos shot in the first half
Upson was impressed by Castellanos‘ ability to get a shot away from what looked like an extremely tight situation in the first half.
With very little backlift, the Argentine striker managed to find the optimum space to fire a shot on goal.
However, he was unfortunate as the ball hit the woodwork and ricocheted away from danger.
This would have been the perfect opportunity for the Hammers to score, as it came only a few minutes after Brentford took the lead.
Speaking on Premier League’s world feed, Upson said: “The touch here. It’s a clever shot. He picks his spot perfectly.”
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How has Castellanos fared in the first half for West Ham vs Brentford?
Nuno will be pleased with Castellanos as he has found himself in good goal-scoring positions consistently.
The Hammers boss knows that if his side are to avoid relegation, he is going to need a bit of inspiration from his attackers.
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
In the 29th minute as well, the Argentine forward nearly found the back of the net as his header looked destined for the net, but narrowly missed and once again hit the post.
The 27-year-old also saw a long-range effort well saved on the stroke of half time.
He has been involved in the build-up as well, dropping deep as and when needed to link up the play.
However, Nuno will need him to be more clinical in the second period as the hosts are there for the taking in this one.
Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville are also threats in the final third, and they all need to get on the same page sooner rather than later if the visitors are to get anything from this game.
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