Ouattara Receives Full Backing From Brentford Boss Andrews After Panenka Miss

Add as a preferred source on Google

Brentford’s FA Cup campaign ended in a dramatic shoot-out defeat to West Ham, after Dango Ouattara’s Panenka penalty was saved and the London side missed the chance to reach a quarter-final tie with Daniel Farke's Leeds United at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Assistant coach Keith Andrews stressed that the squad will stand behind Ouattara despite the costly miss, pointing to Brentford’s strong Premier League position in seventh place and the nine remaining league fixtures, which Andrews believes still offer scope to "do something special" in the 2025-26 season.

The tie finished 2-2 after extra time, with both clubs scoring twice in normal time and failing to find a winner in the additional 30 minutes, before West Ham advanced 4-3 on penalties to reach the FA Cup last eight for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

Three early penalties were converted without issue in the shoot-out, then Ouattara tried a chipped effort through the middle that Alphonse Areola read comfortably, and after that miss Callum Wilson, Tomas Soucek and Konstantinos Mavropanos all scored from 12 yards to seal West Ham’s progress.

Reflecting on Ouattara’s choice and the pressure involved, Andrews gave a strong defence of the player’s character and technique when speaking post-match, making clear that Brentford will not single out any individual despite the disappointment of another FA Cup fifth-round elimination.

"When you miss a penalty it is a tough moment, but it is easier to not take a penalty than take a penalty," Andrews told TNT Sports of Ouattara's miss. "We've had it in the past when people have been persecuted and ridiculed for missing a penalty on the biggest stage and that's ridiculous. He practices that technique a lot and will have the utmost support from me and everyone around. We really wanted to get through to the quarter-final, but it was not to be. But we have nine games left where we can push on and do something special."

Brentford vs West Ham FA Cup scoring, xG and key numbers

Igor Thiago and Jarrod Bowen each scored twice during the 90 minutes, with Thiago’s brace taking the Brazilian to 21 goals in all competitions this season, making Thiago the second Premier League player to reach at least 20 after Manchester City's Erling Haaland, who has 29.

Thiago’s first goal came when James Collins’ header deflected in off the forward and was awarded following a VAR check for possible handball, while the second arrived from the penalty spot in the 81st minute after Michael Kayode drew a foul from Crysencio Summerville inside the area.

Brentford created several openings in extra time, the best of them falling to Romelle Donovan, who shot over the crossbar, and underlying metrics reflected the close nature of the Brentford vs West Ham FA Cup contest, with both attacks regularly threatening during an open and physical match.

{TABLE_1}

Those expected goals figures underline how fine the margins were, as Brentford finished with an xG of 3.09 from 17 attempts, while West Ham posted 2.85 from 18 shots, and the narrow statistical edge for Andrews’ team ultimately did not translate into a place in the next round.

Brentford vs West Ham FA Cup context and historical record

This defeat extends Brentford’s difficult run at this stage of the FA Cup, as the club has now been knocked out in four successive fifth-round ties, with their exits coming in 2004-05, 2005-06, 2018-19 and now again during the 2025-26 campaign.

"It was a proper cup tie," Andrews added. "They took the lead and in the first half we didn't hit the heights we could and should've done but in the second half we got back into the game. We huffed and puffed and when you get to penalty kicks, it is not a toss of a coin but you need luck. They took theirs very well and unfortunately we missed one. With a goalkeeper like Caoimhin [Kelleher], you feel he will save one and their penalties have to be good and they were."

Despite the Brentford vs West Ham FA Cup disappointment, Andrews highlighted the team’s overall trajectory this season, stressing Brentford’s league position, squad unity and remaining fixtures, and suggesting that while the domestic cup opportunity has gone, the group still has realistic targets and motivation for the rest of 2025-26.