West Ham vs Brentford – News and Probable Lineups

London rivals West Ham United and Brentford will conclude the fifth round of the FA Cup with a Premier League derby at the London Stadium on Monday evening.

The Irons had a stroke of luck against Burton Albion in the last round, whereas the Bees put an end to Macclesfield’s cup hopes to reach this stage.

Match overview

While West Ham seeks to maintain their Premier League status, instant FA Cup success may not be the top priority for Nuno Espirito Santo and his team, despite the former Conference League champions not being fully convincing in the 2025-26 season thus far.

In fact, the hosts for Monday managed to secure only single-goal victories against Queens Park Rangers and Burton Albion, needing extra time—and specifically a 95th-minute Crysencio Summerville goal—to overcome the latter in the fourth round.

This round of the competition has not been favorable to the Hammers in recent times, as they’ve lost each of their last three FA Cup fifth-round ties—from 2021 to 2023—since their last quarter-final appearance a decade ago.

On the brighter side, Santo’s relegation-threatened side looks to be on an upswing, having achieved a commendable six wins and just two losses in their last 10 fixtures across all competitions, with their latest result being a narrow 1-0 victory against Fulham in their most recent league outing.

Although they currently sit below the relegation line in the Premier League standings, the revitalized Hammers are only one point adrift of Nottingham Forest and struggling Tottenham Hotspur, with their recent four-game unbeaten streak at the London Stadium playing a part in this.

Brentford, the visitors for Monday, coincidentally arrive at this fifth-round fixture with an identical record from their last six games—three wins, two draws, and one loss in all competitions, albeit not in the exact order of West Ham’s results.

One of those victories ensured that the Bees avoided the same fate as FA Cup holders Crystal Palace, as Keith Andrews’s side managed a tricky outing against Macclesfield, needing a second-half own goal to eliminate the non-league team.

Nonetheless, Brentford has advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since becoming a Premier League team, but the Bees are also enduring a three-match winless run in this stage of the competition, last moving beyond this point back in 1989.

However, issues have arisen since their unexciting win over Macclesfield; they suffered a home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, almost collapsed at Burnley, and delivered a forgettable goalless draw against Bournemouth in their most recent away match.

Despite that, the latest result extended Brentford’s unbeaten away streak to five matches, and aspirations for European competition remain alive for Andrews’s squad, who previously secured a 2-0 win against West Ham at the London Stadium in their league encounter last October.

Team News

West Ham’s challenge in the match against Burton Albion was compounded by the sending-off of Freddie Potts, but as the midfielder has completed his suspension in Premier League play, he is eligible to participate in the cup game.

However, Santo has not provided any assurances regarding Pablo Felipe’s fitness as he battles a calf injury, while Lukasz Fabianski, a key player in Arsenal’s 2014 FA Cup victory, is dealing with a back issue.

With Manchester City set to face them five days later, Santo might consider making some changes to his starting XI—an idea that could excite Alphonse Areola and Soungoutou Magassa in particular.

On Brentford’s side, Andrews has revealed the unfortunate news of another injury setback for Rico Henry; the defender sustained a hamstring injury during the draw with Bournemouth and will be sidelined for several weeks at least.

Henry joins long-term knee patients Fabio Carvalho, Antoni Milambo, and Josh Dasilva in the treatment room, along with Aaron Hickey (thigh) and Vitaly Janelt (ankle), though Reiss Nelson (calf) has a slim chance of making a return.

Like his counterpart, Andrews is expected to slightly rotate his squad for Monday’s clash, with players such as Hakon Valdimarsson, Ethan Pinnock, and Keane Lewis-Potter—who will primarily replace Henry—potentially reinstated into the starting lineup.

West Ham United probable starting XI:

Areola; Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Disasi, Scarles; Bowen, Fernandes, Magassa, Summerville; Wilson, Castellanos

Brentford probable starting XI:

Valdimarsson; Kayode, Pinnock, Ajer, Lewis-Potter; Yarmoliuk, Henderson; Ouattara, Damsgaard, Schade; Thiago

With both teams exhibiting identical performances over their last six matches and having greater ambitions in the Premier League, predicting the outcome of this fifth-round encounter would require a bold prediction.

One can expect an entertaining match regardless, but we believe Santo’s reinvigorated Hammers may keep their composure and triumph in a penalty shootout after a tumultuous 120 minutes.