Image source, Getty ImagesTomas Soucek netted his 29th Premier League goal for West Ham in their 1-1 draw with Brentford, overtaking Milan Baros (28) into second place for the top Czech scorers in the competition's history, behind only Patrik Berger (38 goals).
Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist
West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Ipswich (kick-off 15:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Striker Niclas Fullkrug remains out of action because of injury, but the rest of his squad are available. On Fullkrug, the Spaniard said: "We would like that he was fit now. He has had a little problem. Hopefully we are going to have him ready for the next matches."
On how he and his players are approaching Saturday's game: "As with all of the matches, we have big expectations and we are trying to work hard, but knowing we are going to play against a good team."
Speaking about Saturday's opponents, he continued: "Ipswich have worked together for three years with a very good coach. They have a consistent team, that's why they have not lost against Fulham, Brighton, Southampton or Aston Villa. They work well as a team, with and without the ball. We have to be ready to compete to be able to win this match."
Lopetegui was asked if there is pressure on his team to secure a first Premier League home win this season: "It's normal because we want to win at home and we haven't done that until now. We have not lost away but it is not enough - we want more. We are working to win the next match against Ipswich and that is our main aim."
On whether he knows his preferred starting XI, Lopetegui said: "We put focus on the [starting] line-up but there is the same importance on the bench players. We have one squad and we can choose one player or another depending on the opponent or the moment of the match."
On the importance of Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta to the success of the team: "It's important that the team play well and work well. It's about all of them, not about one player or two. Football is a collective game and we want all of them to work as a team and work for the team. This is the only way I know how to be a strong team."
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Xavier Bird
BBC Radio London Sport
Image source, Getty ImagesAfter all the big spending in the summer by West Ham, the most exciting prospect from their 1-1 draw at Brentford on Saturday was a player who they signed last year.
Konstantinos Mavropanos is conventionally a centre-back. Before Saturday, he had never played any other position at senior level in English football before Saturday.
So when he was brought on for an injured Emerson at half time at Gtech Community Stadium, Hammers fans got to see something they had not laid witness to before, and were pleasantly surprised with the results. Aaron Wan-Bissaka moved over to play left-back, while Mavropanos played out an extremely effective 45 minutes at right-back.
It is a position he had only played in four times before in senior football, all of those during his loan spell at Stuttgart from Arsenal. But he looked very much at home, galloping up the touchline in attack while also adding a degree of solidity at the back.
"I’d never seen him play there," Julen Lopetegui told BBC Radio London after the game. "But I could imagine that he’d play very well. He has a lot of good things. Sometimes it’s not easy to be ready (as a substitute), but he was ready, and he played very well.”
West Ham were the better side in the second half, and possibly should have gone on to win the game. It’s no coincidence that their improvement in the second half came after Mavropanos was introduced.
The Hammers host Ipswich Town on Saturday at 15:00 BST with full commentary live on BBC Radio London.
James Jones
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesIt was another case of Tomas Soucek to the rescue for West Ham at the weekend.
Soucek has been criticised by some, with supporters seemingly feeling he remains a symbol of David Moyes' negative style of play in a season where a new manager has been tasked with making the Hammers more easy on the eye.
But Soucek's impact must not be underestimated - and he should go down as one of the most important players in the club's Premier League history.
His goal against Brentford was his 34th in all competitions for West Ham and his 45th goal involvement since signing for the club in 2020. He has hit double figures for goals twice, which is impressive enough for a defensive midfielder.
His 29 Premier League goals have won the club 25 points over the past four-and-a-half years, with six of his goals coming after the 80th minute of matches.
And then in Europe, he has made more appearances in continental competition than anyone else in the club's history (32). He also scored the all-important first goal in that famous victory over Sevilla.
Soucek is not the best passer of the ball and is gangly in appearance, but his ability to arrive late in the box is second to none, while the ground he covers makes him an important pair of lungs in midfield.
Last season, for example, only Dejan Kulusevski and Pascal Gross covered more ground than Soucek in a single match, with the Czech making up four of the top 10 games for distance covered (Oracle, external via Premier League)
So what he lacks in flair and trickery, he makes up in effort, desire and goalscoring ability.
That is why those West Ham supporters who want to see the back of him need to put a bit more respect on his name.
Find more from James Jones at We Are West Ham, external
West Ham and Aston Villa are battling to sign Valencia's 24-year-old Spanish forward Hugo Duro for up to £25m. (Caught Offside), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Brenford and West Ham.
Here are some of your comments:
Brentford fans
Ian: All I say is don't miss kick off. A game of two halves today. A fast start from Brentford and then the second Brentford goal didn't materialise. Damsgaard is finding his form in a Brentford shirt and will be an asset during our injury issues.
Mark: Three first-minute goals now, leading to two losses and a draw. Simply not good enough.
Ben: 100% missing a striker that can find the net. 19 shots today and only three on target. New players and manager need time to gel but things need to pick up quickly.
Guvnah: Can't hold on to a lead. Three games in a row with goals in the first minute. I'm looking forward to getting a full squad back. But I'll take a point in a scrappy game.
West Ham fans
Sid: It’s confusing for sure. The increased possession is positive, the confusion over who should be doing what less so. I thought Kudus was one of our best players first half and the only attacking threat. So it was a strange substitution. We don’t look fit enough after 60 minutes. Antonio was done and others too. At least Todibo made a good start.
Frank: I have no idea what this manager does in training but we might as well have started a fire and burned £130m. He looks clueless. Aaron Wan-Bissaka thinks he is a midfielder and does not know how to defend and the whole lot look a shambles. European football next year…no chance.
Jonny: Not sure what our manager is doing to be honest. The substitutions are bizarre and we don't have any shape. I think he is trying to be too clever, Mavropanos at right-back? With Coufal on the bench? Soler on for Kudus? But, saying all that a point away from home in the Premier League is good. Just wish we had a settled side. Hopefully this will come in the weeks ahead.
Ken: A terrible start but better performance particularly in the second half. We worked hard with little return. Much better than it has been recently, but we should be beating teams like Brentford after all the money that's been spent.
Highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.
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Bobbie Jackson
BBC Sport Journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesJulen Lopetegui is yet to set the world alight since taking charge of West Ham over the summer, despite spending over £100m in transfer fees.
West Ham have won just one of their six games in the league under the Spaniard but their performance against Brentford suggests improvements are being made.
The Hammers fell behind inside a minute and then enjoyed the majority of possession and chances for the remainder of the first half.
Lopetegui made two tactical changes at half-time, brining on Konstantinos Mavropanos and Carlos Soler for Mohammed Kudus and Emerson.
West Ham looked much-better balanced in the second period and it took just under 10 minutes to get level.
Tomas Soucek, brought in for the suspended Edson Alvarez, bundled the ball in from close range after some neat build-up play on the edge of the box.
Clear cut chances were few and far between in what remained of the game, although West Ham looked the more likely to register as they pressed on for a second with momentum on their side.
With no victory since seeing off Crystal Palace on 24 August, West Ham are desperate to get back to winning ways and they have a golden opportunity to achieve that when Ipswich visit London Stadium on Saturday.
Image source, Getty ImagesWest Ham manager Julen Lopetegui, has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day after today's draw: "We knew that we had a very tough match, they won both matches here against Southampton and Crystal Palace and we suffered by conceding in the first minute.
"We showed this [Brentford's record of scoring early] to the players and it's incredible we suffered. It's a bad picture to concede so early.
"We kept calm and I think we deserved to win the match in the second half, we showed character and commitment.
"We had three or four very clear situations to score a second goal but we didn't manage it and we take a point. I have to keep positive.
"We always have to work as a team or we are weaker - I think we did this in the second half."
On Konstantinos Mavropanos, who came on at half-time: "He did very, very well. He showed good personality.
"He has been doing a good job here and for the team."
On remaining unbeaten away from home: "Away we show big character and personality but we want that at home too. We want to win for our fans."
Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?
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Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies
Seven matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.
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BBC Radio 5 Live commentaries:
Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.
For week six, he takes on Maximo Park singer Paul Smith, whose latest album, Stream Of Life, is out on Friday.
Brentford host West Ham at 15:00 BST on Saturday.
Sutton's prediction: 2-1
Julen Lopetegui needs a result and he needs a performance, the West Ham way... whatever that is under him.
Their fans wanted a change, and they got the change... and I think they have expected a much better start than the one they have got.
On top of the result, what was worrying about last week's home defeat by Chelsea was how vulnerable the Hammers looked defensively. If they were solid at the back it would give them something to build on until they click up front, but there was not much to build on there.
West Ham were miles off in that game, and ended up well beaten by Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night too. The Reds were very fortunate with how they scored their first goal, but it feels like everything is going against Lopetegui at the moment.
Brentford are always superbly organised and carry a goal threat. They went ahead against Manchester City and Tottenham in their past two league games and although they ended up losing both, they ran Spurs very close and gave City plenty to think about too.
Even without the injured Yoane Wissa, the Bees are a well-balanced team - and probably not the kind of opposition that West Ham need or want right now.
Smith's prediction: 3-1
For the last few games I have been expecting it to click for West Ham, and that Niclas Fullkrug would score some goals, but it hasn't happened. They have got some good players but they just seem to be in such a rut that I can't see them winning this one either.
Brentford have lost their last two league games but both times they created so many chances and have gone for it. I am expecting them to go for it again here and, if West Ham aren't at it, Brentford could win comfortably.
Former Premier League midfielder Michael Brown has been speaking to the Football News Show about the teams who have struggled to get points on the board so far.
Everton
"Sean Dyche understands the pressure. He is comfortable in his surroundings, he’s got broad shoulders but the pressure is starting to mount. The supporters are grumbling, but they need to try and relax.
"I think the next two home games [against Crystal Palace and Newcastle] are key."
Leicester City
"There is rumblings regarding the manager and the style he is going to have to try and play. It is a totally different ball game in the Premier League."
Wolves
"What is surprising everyone is how good Wolves were last season compared to their start this term. It was an incredible run from Gary O’Neil. He has lost players [over the summer] and I think he needed a bit more support in the transfer window. We can all see that he will be disappointed.
"They have a tough game against Liverpool next, so it does not get any easier."
West Ham
"Getting beat 5-1 by Liverpool is not a true reflection of them. Early on in the game they had several chances. Even into the second half when they were 2-1 down, there was a couple of good opportunities. They brought on Kudus, Paqueta and Antonio so there were several changes.
"But what was disappointing, is that they went down to 10 men with Alvarez having the second yellow card and then it was capitulation. That is what the manager did not need.
"They did not seem to have the gritty style what West Ham have had. Julen Lopetegui wants to be more attractive, more aggressive, at the top of the pitch and that is not coming to light at this moment in time. There is a lot of work to do and the pressure is mounting. West Ham fans wanted the change [of manager] but it is going to take him a little bit of time."
Image source, Getty ImagesWest Ham have conceded more goals in 2024 than any other current Premier League side (53), with the Hammers shipping three or more goals in eight different games so far this calendar year.
Image source, Getty ImagesThere has been a lot of conversation this week about "dark arts" in football following the draw between Manchester City and Arsenal on Sunday.
Realistically, everyone who has watched football for longer than one game has seen things they would perceive as "dark arts"; whether it is a player always going down winning free-kicks to take the sting out of the game, kicking the ball into row Z when there was no multi-ball system or time-wasting on goal-kicks.
These are things we see all the time but our perception of it is dependent on the context of a game. You always see some version of it somewhere, and you hope your team would be doing the same thing if in the same situation - because why should you do something that would benefit the opposition you are against?
It is the same as going down a bit more easily to win penalties - some people will say "this guy is a cheat", but then on the other side of their mouth, if it is something that could benefit them, they say "he has tried too hard to stay up, he needed to go down there".
You can have rulings, Ifab can get involved to change this and that, but there will always be a way to push the rules to their limits.
What we saw with Arsenal in that game, where David Raya sat down to get some treatment while the teams gathered, we have seen those moments before. It is not just new to Arsenal - other teams do it.
It is always based on certain moments. You do get more frustrated if it happens against you, but when you need to do it, you encourage people to do it. That is one of the beauties of football - the way you see things is always going to be down to perception, context and just whether you think it is benefiting you or not.
Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Phil Cartwright
Josh Lobley
BBC Sport Researcher
West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League trip to Brentford (kick-off 15:00).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On team news: "We will train now and will see again afterwards how they are. We have Edson out [due to suspension] and let’s see what will happen with the others between today and tomorrow. Unfortunately, Fullkrug was not available last night, so we will wait for this afternoon and tomorrow to see for him."
On Wednesday's Carabao Cup defeat by Liverpool: "It's always hard to have one less player in the match. It’s true that we did very good things for 75 minutes, but it was a very different end after the red card. We did positive things in my opinion and were close to winning the match. The boys worked very hard for 75 minutes but we have to accept the result."
Lopetegui says his side "deserve more" from the matches they've lost this season. He says his side have had "good moments" but admitted they need to be "more consistent" to win games.
He says that he is happy with the players brought in over the summer, adding: "Yesterday, three players were in the starting line-up for the first time. I'm happy with their commitment and performance. Step by step they are going to increase the level and our competitiveness."
More on the nine incomings: "I am happy with the new signings and they need time for adaptation. But in the mean time we have to be able to compete and be ready for the big challenge to face [Brentford]."
Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news
Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesAnother grim night for West Ham brought more negative headlines - and dark humour - around manager Julen Lopetegui.
The Hammers boss is at the centre of a storm around poor tactics and bad results and, to compound his misery, left Anfield on crutches after the 5-1 Carabao Cup defeat by Liverpool after injuring his calf.
Outsiders are pointing out the situation is no better than it was under David Moyes, who left the club in the summer after four and a half seasons that included three European campaigns and West Ham's first trophy in 43 years.
But there should be some scrutiny also on technical director Tim Steidten.
The 45-year-old arrived at London Stadium with an impressive reputation following his time at Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen. But he did not develop a close working relationship with Moyes and his fingerprints are all over the Hammers' summer recruitment campaign, including bringing in Lopetegui.
If there is an overall plan, it is Steidten's. He must take his share of the responsibility.
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer West Ham centre-back Matthew Upson, reacting to the Hammers' 5-1 loss at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on BBC Radio 5 Live:
"You can't excuse the decision-making of Edson Alvarez. Both yellow cards were just ridiculous tackles in areas of the pitch where he doesn't need to make them.
"He's cost his team and he's put a lot more pressure on the manager because I think the performance in the second half, in elements, showed a little bit of fight and quality. To do that and then collapse at the end heaps the pressure on even more.
"Defensively, they haven't been sound. They are struggling and it needs something to bring it together. It needs a partnership in that area of the pitch. I'm not too sure if that's going to happen any time soon.
"There's a little bit of uncertainty in full-back positions, and when you're up against it with 10 men, you're defending in front of The Kop and you're disappointed because you should be back in the game... that's when it really gets tested.
"It leaves a really dismal feel about the evening and there were some positives in this game, unlike against Chelsea."
