West Ham will be without midfielder Edson Alvarez for this weekend’s London derby against Brentford, following the 26-year-old’s dismissal during the Carabao Cup tie with Liverpool.
The Hammers went to Anfield seeking redemption after a bruising 3-0 defeat by Chelsea at the London Stadium.
However, new manager Julen Lopetegui finds himself under mounting pressure after his side suffered a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool.
The Spaniard, appointed to revive West Ham’s fortunes, now faces an uphill battle to steady the ship.
West Ham’s next challenge is a trip to Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday. Brentford, though coming off back-to-back defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, have demonstrated their attacking prowess this season with victories over Crystal Palace and Southampton.
One player likely to cause trouble for West Ham is Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo. With Yoane Wissa sidelined due to an ankle injury, Mbeumo has stepped up, scoring four Premier League goals already this campaign. Thomas Frank will be counting on his in-form forward to continue troubling opposition defences.
West Ham, meanwhile, will sorely miss the presence of Alvarez in midfield. Signed for £35 million from Ajax in 2023, Alvarez has become an integral figure in breaking up play and providing defensive solidity.
LondonWorld rated the Mexican international a mere 3/10 for his display at Anfield, criticising him as “foolish” for his actions. Alvarez received his first yellow card in the 67th minute with West Ham trailing 2-1, before picking up a second booking just 12 minutes later, reducing his team to ten men.
The dismissal proved costly, as Liverpool added two more goals through Cody Gakpo in injury time, leaving Lopetegui’s side humiliated.
Alvarez will now serve a one-match suspension, ruling him out of the clash against Brentford. However, he will be eligible to return for West Ham’s fixture against Wolves at the beginning of October.