West Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse has candidly accepted that the players are at fault for the team’s recent defeat to Brentford on a challenging Saturday at the Brentford Community Stadium, relays the WHW.
The Hammers’ visit to west London resulted in a 2-1 lead slipping away, ultimately culminating in a 3-2 loss to Brentford. Neil Maupay initiated the scoring for the Bees just eleven minutes into the match. However, a swift response from Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen allowed West Ham to take the lead at half-time. Regrettably, a Konstantinos Mavropanos own goal and a header by Nathan Collins led to Brentford securing all three points against David Moyes’ side.
James Ward-Prowse, who had the captain’s armband for the first time since joining the club in August, acknowledged that mistakes within the team contributed to the disappointing result. In an interview with West Ham TV, he stated, “It’s a hard one to take. It was a disappointing game all round. I think we started the game quite slowly, and we conceded quite a sloppy goal. We got back into it with two really well-taken goals, and when you’re in that position, it’s about seeing the game out.”
Ward-Prowse was candid about the team’s culpability in the loss, admitting, “We caused the defeat ourselves. We’ve not suffered from their brilliance – we’ve made the mistakes and been punished.”
The midfielder, who made a strong start to the league season by contributing to five goals in his first four games, has seen a dip in his productivity. This decline can be attributed to a shift in position and role. Initially, Ward-Prowse found himself in more advanced and attacking positions, often positioned further up the field.
Playing just ahead of Edson Alvarez and Tomas Soucek allowed Ward-Prowse to roam around the 18-yard box, but in recent matches, he has been deployed in a deeper role, which has naturally limited his attacking contributions. On Saturday, despite the absence of Edson Alvarez, Ward-Prowse returned to his preferred position, playing behind Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen, perhaps in an effort to reignite his attacking prowess.
West Ham faces a crucial European encounter in the fourth group stage match of the Europa League next week, taking on Olympiacos in the reverse fixture. Olympiacos ended West Ham’s impressive 17-match unbeaten streak in Europe with a 2-1 victory in late October. With a rematch on the horizon, David Moyes’ side will undoubtedly be determined to rectify their previous loss and secure a vital win ahead of this pivotal European clash.