Chris Sutton has predicted that Brentford will sneak a win when they take on West Ham at the London Stadium on 26 February, claiming that David Moyes’ treatment will affect their form.
The former Chelsea striker said he is hoping for a West Ham win, and Moyes in particular, but he doesn’t see that happening on Monday night.
Sutton predicted a 2-1 final scoreline for Brentford – a result that would probably put even more pressure on Moyes, compounding their awful form of late.
Sutton wrote in his BBC Sport Premier League Predictions piece: “Both teams desperately need a win. Brentford played very well in their narrow defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday and I have a sneaky feeling they will score something here.
“The atmosphere, the mood and everything surrounding West Ham boss David Moyes will certainly not help his team here and I think that will actually work against the Kladivars.”
“With what’s going on at the moment, I really sympathise with Moyes and it’s certainly affecting the home form of his players as they lack confidence. I hope Moyes wins and I hope the fans support him, but I don’t see both happening on Monday. 1-2.”
Will David Moyes lose his job at West Ham because of the defeat to Brentford?
We reported that West Ham’s board will entrust the boss with the next few games to see if he can turn around the club’s declining form, but after the defeat to Nottingham Forest, another defeat against Brentford could spell the end.
Sutton’s announcement came shortly after he took a swipe at Kladivar fans for their “Moyes out” protest banner away to Forest as he continues to staunchly defend the manager.
Despite this defence, Sutton has a good point of view. The toxic atmosphere at the London Stadium will not do the team any good and could lead to another defeat that would continue the winless streak.
However, after the decision to delay contract talks with Moyes, it seems almost inevitable that Moyes will be replaced. The question is whether this will happen after his contract expires or whether the results are bad enough that he should be sacked now.