West Ham Advance to FA Cup Quarter-Finals After Shootout Victory Over Brentford
West Ham United reached the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in a decade, defeating Brentford 5-3 in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw at London Stadium on Monday, March 9, 2026.1
Match Summary
Jarrod Bowen and Igor Thiago both scored twice during normal time, but neither side could find a winner, leading to a tense penalty shootout. Brentford forward Dango Ouattara saw his Panenka attempt easily saved by Alphonse Areola, paving the way for Konstantinos Mavropanos to convert the decisive penalty for West Ham.2
Key Moments
- 19th Minute: Jarrod Bowen opened the scoring for West Ham, poking the ball past Caoimhin Kelleher after a cross from Mateus Fernandes was deflected into his path by Kristoffer Ajer.1
- 28th Minute: Igor Thiago equalized for Brentford, diverting a header from James Collins into the net. The goal stood after a VAR review for a potential handball.1
- 34th Minute: Bowen restored West Ham’s lead with a penalty after Michael Kayode was fouled by Adama Traore, confirmed by VAR.1
- 81st Minute: Thiago leveled the score again, converting a penalty awarded after Kayode was pushed in the back by Crysencio Summerville.1
- Penalty Shootout: Ouattara’s audacious Panenka attempt was comfortably saved by Areola, allowing Mavropanos to secure the victory for West Ham.3
West Ham’s Path Forward
West Ham will now host Leeds United in the FA Cup quarter-finals, having reached this stage of the competition for the first time since the 2015-16 season.1
Bowen’s Continued Success Against Brentford
Jarrod Bowen has proven to be a consistent threat against Brentford, with nine goals in all competitions against them (seven for West Ham, two for Hull City). This is more goals than he has scored against any other opponent in his career.1 Since Brentford’s promotion to the Premier League in 2021-22, Bowen, Phil Foden, and Mohamed Salah are tied for the most goals scored against the Bees with seven each.
Match Statistics
Although West Ham emerged victorious, the match was closely contested. West Ham registered an expected goals (xG) total of 2.85 from 18 shots, while Brentford had an xG of 3.09 from 17 attempts.1
Keep reading