Brentford 1 West Ham 1: Mbeumo makes Premier League history before Soucek salvages point for under pressure Lopetegui
TOMAS SOUCEK struck to take the heat off Julen Lopetegui.
But only after the Spaniard became the latest victim of Brentford’s remarkable first-minute scoring streak.
Soucek’s second half finish, forcing past Mark Flekken from close range, earned West Ham a deserved point as they recovered from being stung by Bryan Mbeumo’s fifth of the season as the Bees set a new Premier League fast-start record.
They are the first team to score in the opening 60 seconds of three successive games.
It will have been a relief for Lopetegui, too, after his nightmare week looked set to be extended and he also lost Mohammed Kudus at the interval.
Yet while West Ham went back across the capital with a point that ensures the growing pressure on Lopetegui has abated, this was a deeply unsatisfying afternoon in pretty much every other way.
Without question, the best moment came right at the start.
Lopetegui can hardly claim he was not prepared, although Thomas Frank should bottle and sell whatever he says to sting his Bees into gear before kick-off.
After scoring inside the first half minute at both Manchester City and Spurs – going on to lose both after trailing at the break – they were again in front before many had taken their seats.
This time it took just 39 seconds for Mbeumo’s left-footed volley from 12 yards to find the top corner, a terrific hooked finish with the ball behind him and giving the fully-extended Alphonse Areola no chance.
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But fingers would have been pointed once again, after West Ham failed to deal with Kevin Schade’s cross – the German was onside because of the VAR “tolerance” zone – and Fabio Carvalho reacted quicker than Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jarrod Bowen to nod back into the middle.
Mbeumo’s reaction, though, was outstanding. He is a class act.
Never before has a Prem side scored so quickly in three straight matches.
And, of course, never before has a side scored inside the first minute of three straight games and won nine of them.
Yet after such a dramatic start, much of what followed was an anticlimax.
Lucas Paqueta was particularly quiet, with only Kudus and Bowen offering any real threat despite West Ham.
When they did get close enough, Kudus fired at Flekken before Mikhail Antonio dragged a shot wide from 16 yards after Bowen tricked his way into the danger zone.
Brentford were happy to sit deep and then counter, frequently through Mbeumo, who took one in the head from Wan-Bissaka after he had directed his effort over the top.
Kudus’ failure to reappear after the break – with Carlos Soler on as Konstantinos Mavropanos also replaced Emerson – might have added to the discontent of the Hammers fans.
Instead, West Ham were galvanised.
Wan-Bissaka switched to the left, with the defender almost getting in after a strong run opened the way towards the Brentford goal as Lopetegui’s side called the shots.
And within 10 minutes of the restart, any doubts would have disappeared as the visitors levelled.
Paqueta fed in and Bowen and Soucek played some delightful one-touch stuff before Antonio chested down and shot.
His effort was half-blocked but that served to tee up Soucek, sweeping home from five yards as he was being pulled to the ground.
Substitute Yehor Yarmoliuk, on for Schade, tested Areola from the edge of the box with his first touch as Brentford looked to respond.
Yet that was as good as it got, the game drifting into an eminently forgettable phase in which neither team had either the imagination or the desire to get the winner.
Keane Lewis-Potter’s late shot, gathered easily by Areola, summed it up. A point each. And not much else.