Dango Ouattara became the penalty shoot-out villain for Brentford, with Panenka’s failure in the shootout costing the Bees, who reached the FA Cup quarter-finals at the expense of West Ham.
Nothing was decided in extra time after Jarrod Bowen and Igor Thiago scored two goals each in regular time, but Ouattara tried to drop Alphonse Areola into the middle, but West Ham’s goalkeeper read it and stopped to score easily.
Ouattara tried panenka but it didn’t come off.
On the other side of the coin, West Ham calmly beat all their penalties as Konstantinos Mavropanos scored the winning goal in early April to seal a place in the last eight against fellow Premier League relegation rivals Leeds.
A great first half saw both teams work aggressively, scoring three goals in 15 minutes.
Brentford missed early chances through Jordan Henderson and Michael Cayode, but West Ham opened the scoring with Bowen scoring his first goal of the game after picking up the ball from a Matheus Fernandes cross.
Jarrod Bowen gives West Ham the lead from a corner kick.
Brentford have found a way back into the game through possible sources. Nathan Collins’ goal-bound header from his throw-in routine was chested home by Igor Thiago for his 20th goal of the season in all competitions.
However, the Bees found themselves at a disadvantage right from the kickoff. Adama Traore was brought down by Kayode and the spot-kick was sent to the monitor by VAR, even though referee Andy Madrid somehow missed a clear trip. Bowen shipped it easily.
Madley and VAR would be busy again before the end of the first half as Kevin Shade went down under a Fernandes trip inside the area. Replays showed the West Ham midfielder barely touched the ball before standing on Schade’s feet, and VAR was not involved in the penalty appeal.
After the match, Brentford manager Keith Andrews said: “Yeah, it’s a penalty.”
When asked if he understood why it wasn’t given, he said: “No, obviously there was contact on the leg.
“There was a game that was overturned and it was re-referred and I don’t understand why it can’t be overturned by VAR. From where Andy[Madrid]was on the pitch, he watched our game and didn’t give a decision? So yeah, it’s strange.”
However, Kayode was forced in at the back post by half-time substitute Crisencio Somerville, resulting in a second penalty being awarded late in the game. The Madrid referee did not need VAR to make that decision.
Brentford’s Igor Thiago celebrates scoring against West Ham
Thiago’s efforts saw Brentford level for the second time, but Kean Lewis-Potter missed a chance to take the lead when his shot went wide before the 90th minute had passed.
The extra innings continued to be exciting. The fresh legs of Romell Donovan and Callum Wilson failed to convert any decent chances, while Somerville, who had been booked for conceding a Brentford penalty, avoided a second yellow card and was given an obvious red card.
Axel Disasi’s long-range shot went just over the bar and they almost won with their last kick, but they were given a penalty and Ouattara’s terrifying moment from 12 yards out sealed the winner.
Andrews defends Ouattara over Panenka penalty miss
Brentford head coach Keith Andrews:
“I’m not frustrated at all. The easiest thing for a footballer is not to take a penalty. It takes incredible courage to take a penalty on a stage like that.”
“I hate the culture surrounding players who miss penalties. We’re talking about national heroes who miss penalties. They’ve been ridiculed and persecuted. I think it’s disgusting.”
“It takes a lot of courage to do that (taking a penalty). He has practiced that technique well. If he gets it done, everyone will be excited about him. So Dango will have the absolute support he needs from us and everyone involved with him.”
Bowen aims for silver medal with West Ham this season
West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen told TNT Sports:
“We haven’t done enough this season but now we’re entering the final stages of the real business. We’ve got a big game coming up on Saturday, we’re in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and things are looking up. But we’ve got to keep trying, keep demanding and keep raising the bar.”
“Going back to the QPR game (round three), I don’t want to say the season started there, but it was an opportunity to turn things around and give us confidence and belief.
“We’ve done the same thing in the Premier League and it was the same tonight. We had to perform well but we knew it was going to be a tough game. Every FA Cup game we’ve had so far has gone into extra time, but we want to get to the final and we want a silver medal for this club.
“It’s my dream to win the FA Cup and it’s a long road to get there, but tonight is a great night for everyone involved.”
Nuno: We’re having fun at home again!
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo told TNT Sports:
“Our fans deserve this moment of joy. We thank them for supporting us even in bad times and for continuing to support the team. The team has done a good job.”
“The players are happy in the dressing room. Tired but happy. It was a tough game against a great team. We controlled them and held them back with a lot of chances. I’m happy that the game was ours in the end.”
“We have to rest now. We know we face a tough game on Saturday (against Man City). But in our stadium, the players are playing at the London Stadium, the atmosphere is good. It’s a tough game but we want to fight and our performance will require the best from all of us.”
