Premier League defeats of West Ham by Brentford are like buses. You wait ages for the chance then four come along at once.

Sunday’s 2-0 win for the Bees completed our second successive top flight double over David Moyes and his hapless Hammers.

The visitors can make up all the excuses they want about prioritising their European adventure but for a side still not safe from the threat of relegation, they weren’t even close to coming second in this one. It was a performance all the more impressive from Brentford when you remember that it was achieved without our current top scorer and leader of the ‘Star Player chart’, Ivan Toney.

Whilst West Ham elected to have Danny Ings lead the line – a player whose most impressive moment was the second half quadruple roll after being ‘fouled’ by Aaron Hickey that saw the striker flapping around like a fish out of water – the Toney-less Bees went with Wissa.

Ably flanked by Bryan Mbeumo and Kevin Schade, the power trio ran riot. That it only finished 2-0 to the home side was probably the biggest shock of the afternoon. West Ham so utterly irrelevant to the proceedings – their minds clearly on other things – it was like stealing candy from a baby. A final tally of 24 shots from Brentford to our guests’ four showing just how one-sided a contest this was.

The game was wrapped up by half time. First Bryan Mbeumo got on the end of a sweeping move from left to right that saw the West Ham backline getting further and further stretched as the ball was played along it. He picked up the ball and made no mistake firing it back in from the direction it had come and past Fabianski in nets.

1-0 Brentford and 20 minutes gone.

Wissa the doubling the lead as half-time approached. Heading home from a Ben Mee flick on with an exquisite touch that left the ‘keeper no hope.

Whilst Raya had to be on his toes to stop an almost immediate reply, we went into half-time wondering how it had only been two – such was the amount created and the riot run – but buzzing nonetheless. Thomas Frank’s half-time talk might have been the easiest he has ever given and one which probably involved calling for an abacus.

Then, West Ham started to play a bit. David Moyes in the opposite changing room had clearly torn his team a new one as part of what would have been an infinitely different talking to. The Bees invited them forward and our own constant refusal to clear the ball eventually culminated in Arsenal’s Declan Rice firing home from close range. David Raya absolutely furious and giving Aaron Hickey an absolute going over as the teams gathered for the restart.

Or, should that be, David Raya absolutely furious and giving Aaron Hickey and absolute going over as the teams gathered for the VAR check that nobody had appealed for. Hang on a minute. Possible handball? Indeed it wa. 2-1 became 2-0 once more, much to the chagrin of the visiting fans.

With that, any chance they had of hauling themselves back into this game was gone. Instead, Brentford woke up and picked up that first half pace. Damsgaard pulling strings through the middle. Schade running at 100mph, as ever. Wissa and Mbeumo linking up time and again.

The substitutions, of whom Frank the Tank was immense, providing fresh legs and new impetus. Saman Ghoddos coming on to a hero’s welcome following the news that the Iranian Messi will be leaving at the end of the season. Brentford kept on going for it but despite all the effort couldn’t quite find that final touch. Despite the absence of Ivan Toney we looked devastating. With him, we might have had to crack open the 7 (seven) goal brackets.

What a lovely problem to have. ‘Only’ winning 2-0 in Ivan’s absence. However, as we take our regular post-match look at the top five from this game as well as continuing our season long quest to declare Brentford’s overall top performer it does provide some tough decisions.

Everyone was on their game and it’s one of those where 16 into 5 just won’t go. Talking at full time to fellow supporters, everyone had different names. Everyone was right, too. You may not agree with me but for what it’s worth, these are mine…

Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 36 (vs West Ham)

1st (Star Player: 5 points) – Bryan Mbeumo
It had to be Bryan. His goal was the culmination of a most delightful move from which he made no mistake. Yet it was his overall workout that really has him top of the tree for this game.

What energy. What tireless running. What workrate. His linkup play with Wissa in particular was a thing of beauty to behold and the fact he didn’t add to his tally is a mystery to rank alongside why Divin Mubama chose to wear his shorts like an Aussie Rules player.

This back end of the season has really seen Bryan at his scintillating best. Back in the Championship days at Griffin Park I remember seeing him destroy team after team as the so-called BMW of him, Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma did their ‘scoring for fun’ thing.

Back then, we wondered how good he’d be if we ever stepped up. On Sunday, with Benrahma watching on from the substitutes’ bench and contemplating his own career decisions, we had yet another emphatic answer to that question.

2nd (4 points) – Mikkel Damsgaard
This was good Damsgaard. Versus Fulham Damsgaard. The player brought in to replace the other Danish chap who went to Manchester United Damsgaard.

Now, the player who gave us yet another tantalising look at not only why we signed him but also what he could do next season if given a regular run in a regular position. It’s a big ask, of course, but you can only play who you are up against and he played them off the park.

Tricks, flicks, running and a crispness of passing that was up there with his very best. Could well have had a goal or two and, on another day, he will. The first half saw him not quite connect with an inch perfect Schade cross. The second seeing him fire over when Ben Mee had played it through.

3rd (3 points) – Rico Henry
There was one moment in the second half where he seemed to run through the entire West Ham team as he broke forward, yet again. It was typical Rico. We’ve seen it all so many times yet can never grow tired of watching him charge through as though the ball is tied to his foot with a piece of string.

It was the story of his afternoon. He’d defended well, when needed of course, yet in a line up which had already suggested we were ‘going for it’ from the off, he added an additional layer of attacking presence behind Schade.

For me, the only headscratcher bigger than Mubama’s shorts is how he has not received an international call up? We’ve said it so many times on these pages and this was just yet another example of what he could bring down that left flank, should Gareth Southgate ever decide to throw out his rule box and actually start picking players who are on form.

Well played, Rico.

4th (2 points) – Frank Onyeka
Thomas Frank has often talked about having a starting XI and a finishing XI. Beginning a game from the bench is no negative reflection on where a player may sit in the managerial pecking order.

Although he was only on pitch for 20 minutes (plus stoppage time) what he did in that time was game changing. Energy levels restored and Brentford picked up the pace. As noted earlier, we’d started the period on the back foot and, for once, had received unexpected help from VAR. Frank came on and changed that.

He brought fresh blood and fresh legs to the team with one memorable charge forward seeing him cut down in full flow yet still managing to win the ball, pick himself up and continue that burst forward. He crammed more movement and energy into 25 minutes than most of the opposition did in 90 and, I’d argue, that it was his arrival which really reasserted our dominance to an extent that left the visitors paddless up a creek.

5th (1 point) – Wissa
Oh, my. A tough, tough call. No Ethan who was huge on those rare moments West Ham broke forward. No Aaron Hickey (who had a blinder and everyone else has been raving about). No Mathias Jensen or chance-creating Ben Mee?

I can only go with my gut and when most eyes were on the player who didn’t start, Wissa stepped up in some style. Took his goal beautifully and, on reflection, will wonder how he only ended out with one. In part this was down to Fabianski. Likewise, he may reflect on his own final ball.

However, he DID score and, on an afternoon, where taken chances were at a premium that’s the most important thing. Goals win games. Wins make points. He got the second so sneaks in to the top five at the expense of others.

Brentford Player Ratings – Top 5 Players Overall (after Matchweek 36)

All of which means another new entrant into the top five. Ivan maintains his lead with Ben Mee still second. However, the late season surge from Bryan Mbeumo sees him leap frog the perennially joint placed David Raya and Mathias Jensen into fifth. With just two games to play it’s still wide open…

1st – Ivan Toney (69 points)
2nd – Ben Mee (62 points)
3rd – Ethan Pinnock (58 points)
4th – Rico Henry (53 points)
5th – Bryan Mbeumo (47 points)

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2022-23 Brentford Player Ratings – Matchweek 36 vs Nick Bruzon