Analysis: Kelleher, Ouattara and Thiago shine in West Ham win

Analysis: Kelleher, Ouattara and Thiago shine in West Ham win

Brentford remain firmly in the hunt for a European spot after a 3-0 win over West Ham United on Saturday and, with the finish line in sight, the Bees are posting impressive numbers at both ends of the pitch.

Leading through an own goal from Hammers defender Konstantinos Mavropanos at the break, the west Londoners kicked on in the second period and Igor Thiago's penalty, followed by a composed late finish from Mikkel Damsgaard, wrapped up the points.

Head coach Keith Andrews afterwards hailed a "really special" London derby victory, which also marked young forward Kaye Furo's Premier League debut and a much-anticipated return to action for Josh Dasilva after 822 days.

Brentford got back to winning ways after five consecutive draws and a defeat, and Andrews will have been delighted by an incisive attacking display and another clean sheet.

Only Manchester United, Everton and Manchester City have hit the woodwork more than Brentford (11) this season, but on this occasion, it was Caoimhín Kelleher's goal that led a charmed life.

Centre-forward Taty Castellanos saw two efforts clip the post in the first half, while Crysencio Summerville and Tomáš Souček both struck the frame of the goal for the visitors after the interval.

The shut-out made it 10 league clean sheets for the season, with Brentford reaching double digits for only the second time since their promotion from the Championship. In the context of this campaign, only Arsenal (17), Man City (14), Crystal Palace (12) and Everton (11) have kept more.

If Kelleher and his defensive unit need any further incentive, three more clean sheets between now and the end of the campaign would see the Bees break their current record of 12 in a Premier League season, set in 2022/23.

The clean sheet underlined Brentford’s resilience, but there was also plenty to like in attack, with Thiago notably scoring his 25th goal across all competitions.

His trademark shuffle and finish from the spot took the Brazilian to 22 Premier League goals this term, and Brentford's ability to win penalties and convert them has been remarkable.

Across UEFA's top five leagues, only the unerring Harry Kane (10) has scored more penalties this season than Thiago (8), who coolly kept his eyes on West Ham keeper Mads Hermansen before slotting past the wrong-footed Dane on 54 minutes.

'Across UEFA's top five leagues, only the unerring Harry Kane (10) has scored more penalties this season than Igor Thiago (8)'

Brentford and their prolific striker are indebted, however, to flying winger Dango Ouattara's pace and trickery. The Burkina Faso international delivered another impressive display against the Hammers, and it was his driving run into the box which drew the ill-judged challenge from El Hadji Diouf that led to Thiago's spot-kick.

Ouattara has now won more penalties (5) this season than any player across UEFA's big five leagues - more than even the likes of Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappé, who have won four apiece.

The former Bournemouth man has justified Brentford's decision to pay a club-record fee for him last summer, and his four tackles against West Ham at the Gtech also underlined his willingness to contribute defensively.

There were strong performances all over the park for the Bees, but it was Damsgaard - the scorer of their third goal - who added a touch of finesse to proceedings.

Fed by Keane Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard's smooth control and finish were composure personified, but arguably his most impressive moment of the match came before the break, when the Dane sumptuously cushioned a long ball into Thiago's path for a fantastic chance that was well saved by Hermansen.

Next up: a very different test - Manchester City away.