Matchweek 8 in the Premier League concludes on Monday night when West Ham United host Brentford at the London Stadium. Here is everything you need to know.
Form guide
West Ham currently sit second-bottom with four points from seven matches so far, three points behind Brentford in 16th place.
Both teams have made disappointing starts to the 2025/26 campaign and will be determined not just to take derby honours, but to claim a morale-boosting win.
The Hammers have yet to taste victory at the London Stadium this season, and alongside bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers, are one of only two top-flight teams without a win at home so far.
Indeed, their only victory so far came in August, when late goals from Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Callum Wilson secured a 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest. Those three goals have provided 50 per cent of West Ham's total of six goals scored in 2025/26.
Head coach Graham Potter was replaced by Nuno Espirito Santo last month in a bid to change their fortunes and he has taken one point from a possible six so far, in a 1-1 draw at Everton.
Nuno could secure a personal "double" over the Bees, having already beaten them 3-1 with former club Forest on the opening weekend of the 2025/26 campaign. Victory tonight could move West Ham out of the bottom three.
For Brentford, the London Stadium encounter offers Keith Andrews' side an opportunity to improve their away form.
The Bees have lost all three Premier League outings on the road this season, having been beaten in only three of their final 14 away league matches in 2024/25 (W7 D4).
They have been consistently inconsistent under their new head coach, and are yet to record back-to-back wins since his summer appointment.
Indeed, the Bees last won two matches in succession across April and May, when they claimed four consecutive victories under Thomas Frank.
They have kept one clean sheet, in August's 1-0 home win over Aston Villa, with their 12 goals conceded being the joint-fourth highest in the division so far.
Brentford beat West Ham 1-0 in the corresponding fixture last season and know that a repeat result tonight would move them up to 13th spot, five points clear of the relegation zone.
Team news
West Ham welcome back midfield talisman Tomas Soucek following a three-match suspension - the first time new head coach Nuno will have him available for selection.
However, Niclas Fullkrug will miss out after Nuno confirmed his centre-forward has an unspecified injury. Former Newcastle United striker Wilson is in contention to make only his second Premier League start for the Hammers, with Callum Marshall and Crysencio Summerville also vying for a starting place.
Brentford midfielder Antoni Milambo will be ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Andrews will be able to call on the services of Reiss Nelson and Gustavo Nunes as the striking duo successfully came through an Under-21s win against QPR. Scotland defender Aaron Hickey is back in training, having missed his country's second match of the international break against Belarus after he picked up a knock in their win over Greece.
Which Fantasy players could return points?
Fantasy Football League managers will be keeping a close eye from the final match of Gameweek 8, hoping that their West Ham and Brentford picks return some points.
West Ham attacker Bowen (£7.8m) was the sixth-highest player in Fantasy last season (193 points), and is currently their top-scoring player in 2025/26 with 35 points.
Igor Thiago (£6.1m) is Brentford's highest-scoring player this season with 32 points, having earned 15 from his last two matches.
What the managers said
West Ham head coach Nuno will look to celebrate his first home game at the helm with a morale-boosting win.
"I’m looking forward to my first home game! For me, it’s very hard to analyse what’s happened before. It’s very hard and actually it’s not fair to do it," Nuno said.
"What I’m doing is trying to improve, and realising that the home factor is really important. We want to change things, and help our home become a real fortress."
When addressing the media ahead of tonight's match, Brentford boss Andrews confirmed that former West Ham striker Michail Antonio had been training with the club, but "picked up a little knock and has been in and out".
Andrews reiterated his desire to see an improvement on the pitch. He said: "Every facet of the game we can improve on. How connected we are as a team without the ball, how we press, communication, a lot of relationships - I speak about that a lot.
"It is a new team. It just takes a bit of time. Whatever facet it is, I know we can, and will, improve. But because of the nature of the business we want it to be sooner rather than later."
Did you know?
West Ham have lost all four of their Premier League London derbies this season by an aggregate score of 12-2. The Hammers haven’t lost five consecutive league matches against fellow London clubs since September 2010.
Under head coach Andrews this season Brentford are averaging their lowest possession (38.3 per cent), fewest shots per game (8.1), and fewest passes per game (319) than in any of their Premier League campaigns under his predecessor Thomas Frank.
West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta has made 99 Premier League appearances, and is set to be the 30th Brazilian to reach 100 in the competition – the seventh nation to have 30+ players reach a century, after England (475), France (59), Republic of Ireland (56), Scotland (53), Wales (42), and Spain (40).
Brentford have enjoyed more Premier League wins over West Ham (six) than they have against any other side, while, among teams they have faced three or more times in the competition, only against Southampton (83 per cent) do they have a higher win rate than against the Hammers (75 per cent).
West Ham have won only one of their eight Premier League matches against Brentford (D1 L6); among sides the Hammers have faced three or more times in the competition, only against Brighton (six per cent) do they have a lower win rate than they do against the Bees (13 per cent).