Yoane Wissa is on his way to becoming a cult hero at Brentford after helping the Bees to a 2-1 win at West Ham United on Sunday.
It was a last-gasp winner and comes a week after Wissa supplied a late point for Brentford against Liverpool, his two Premier League goals coming in 20 total minutes.
WATCH WEST HAM vs BRENTFORD FULL MATCH REPLAY STREAM
Bryan Mbeumo scored the Bees opener but Jarrod Bowen had it level leading into the match’s final moments.
Brentford goes seventh with 12 points, one more than their fellow Londoners heading into the international break.
West Ham vs Brentford final score, stats
Final score: Brentford 2, West Ham 1
Scorers: Mbeumo (20'), Bowen (80'), Wissa (90'+4)
Shots: West Ham, 18-13
Shots on target: Brentford, 6-5
Possession: West Ham, 60%
Three things we learned from West Ham vs Brentford
1. Wissa the next big Bee? Ivan Toney is the star. Bryan Mbeumo and Sergi Canos not far behind. But Yoane Wissa simply cannot stop scoring in limited minutes, and his last two came in big, big spots. Wissa has only made four substitute appearances in Premier League play, but has two goals in his last 10 minutes, plus he has three goals in two League Cup matches. Wissa’s been a goal and assist man in Ligue 2 and Ligue 1 before coming to London. It’s possible the 25-year-old Congolese can be Brentford’s next star.
2. Weary West Ham finds energy, but lacks sharpness: The European calendar may’ve just caught up with the Irons. This was West Ham’s seventh match in 22 days, the opposition being Southampton, Dinamo Zagreb, Manchester United, and Leeds away plus Manchester United, Rapid Vienna, and Brentford at home. That’s a big ask, and David Moyes should ask all of his players -- even those on international duty -- to have a few extra naps and stretches.
3. Canos, Toney dangerous: If Brentford is going to get any sort of fixture-weary opponents, maybe those opponents should just close up shop or get an IV drip of pure energy and gingko biloba between matches. We simply cannot imagine trying to keep up with that pair, let alone Mbeumo and a player like Wissa coming off the bench. Brentford can very much be for real this season.
Man of the Match: Bryan Mbeumo
Scored, hit a post, and might’ve had a hat trick on another day. Sergi Canos would also like a word, and Bowen, Said Benrahma, and Declan Rice were among the more lively Irons.
Near-misses at both ends open game up
West Ham and Brentford were never going to have to be begged to attack, but their meeting sprang to life off of two ‘almost’ moments.
Declan Rice’s partial block of a near-post Sergi Canos shot skittered just wide of Lukasz Fabianski’s post moments before Kurt Zouma’s contested back post header of a big West Ham cross just missed the frame.
Canos then blazed through the West Ham back line on a perfectly-placed through ball only to see Fabianski palm away his shot. The Polish goalkeeper will feel aggrieved that he scrambled back toward the line and got to Mbeumo’s bid at the rebound just after it crossed the goal line.
West Ham keeps pushing, gets surgical goal
It just wasn’t there for the Irons as the game hit the hour mark, Jarrod Bowen joining Zouma’s earlier near-miss.
The Irons kept fighting for a point or more, and got the forer when Bowen arrived onto the end of a ping-ponging corner kick.
The ex-Hull City man slashed a low drive inside the near post, just about the only place it could go to make it 1-1.