Summary:
- West Ham defeated Brentford in a penalty shoot-out after a 2-2 draw through extra time.
- Dango Ouattara’s failed Panenka attempt proved costly for Brentford.
- Jarrod Bowen scored twice as West Ham set up a quarterfinal clash with Leeds.
West Ham are through to the FA Cup quarterfinals after a dramatic win over Brentford that ended with a tense penalty shoot-out. The match finished 2-2 after extra time, but Brentford’s Dango Ouattara saw his Panenka attempt saved, handing West Ham the advantage.
Mavropanos’ Penalty Sent West Ham Into the Last Eight
The decisive moment came when Ouattara tried to chip the ball down the middle. West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola stayed on his feet and caught the effort comfortably.
Moments later, Konstantinos Mavropanos stepped up and converted the winning penalty, sending West Ham into the last eight where they will face Leeds in early April.
The match itself was lively from the start, especially in a first half that produced three goals in just 15 minutes.
Early Opportunities
Brentford had early opportunities through Jordan Henderson and Michael Kayode but could not convert them. West Ham punished those misses when Jarrod Bowen opened the scoring. He finished from close range after connecting with a knock-down from Matheus Fernandes’ cross.
Brentford responded quickly. Nathan Collins sent a header toward goal from a throw-in routine, and Igor Thiago redirected it into the net with his chest. The goal marked Thiago’s 20th of the season in all competitions.
The score. However, did not stay level for long, as, soon after the restart, Adama Traore was tripped by Kayode. Referee Andy Madley initially waved play on, but VAR advised him to review the incident. After checking the monitor, Madley awarded a penalty that Bowen calmly converted to restore West Ham’s lead.
There was more controversy before halftime. Kevin Schade went down in the box after contact from Fernandes. Replays suggested Fernandes touched the ball before stepping on Schade’s foot, and VAR chose not to intervene.
“Yeah it’s a penalty” Brentford boss Keith Andrews said after the match.
Asked if he could understand why it was not given, he replied: “Not really, no. There was clear contact on his foot.”
Brentford eventually earned a penalty of their own late in the game after Kayode was pushed by substitute Crysencio Summerville. Thiago stepped up and converted to make it 2-2.
Both sides had chances to win it before penalties. Keane Lewis-Potter fired wide late in normal time, while Axel Disasi came close with a long-range effort that sailed just over the bar at the end of extra time.
The shoot-out ultimately decided the match, and Ouattara’s miss proved decisive. Despite the disappointment, Andrews defended his player.
I’m not annoyed at all. The easiest thing for a footballer to do is to not take a penalty. It takes unbelievable courage on a stage like that to take a penalty. He practices that technique a lot. If it goes in, everyone’s raving about him. So Dango will get the absolute support he needs from us and everybody attached to him
In the meantime, West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen explained the team is determined to make the most of their cup run:
We haven’t been good enough this season, but we’re coming into the real business end of it now. We want to get to the final, we want silverware at this club. It’s a dream of mine to win it.