There was something of a collective sigh when West Ham United drew Brentford out of the hat for the FA Cup fifth round.

After all, we’d enjoyed relatively kind draws in the shape of Queens Park Rangers and Burton Albion in the earlier rounds — and Brentford, under Keith Andrews, have turned into a far more dangerous side than many expected.

Anyone who watched the Bees’ impressive 1–1 draw with Arsenal will know exactly what kind of threat they pose.

That said, after watching Andrews rotated side stumble their way past Macclesfield, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are worse teams we could have pulled.

And while Brentford clearly have quality, facing them at the London Stadium is very different from an away trip to Anfield.

A Tough Slot — But Still a Chance

The tie is sandwiched between crucial Premier League fixtures against Fulham and Manchester City, and given the starting XI selected by Nuno Espírito Santo against Burton, it’s hard to know just how seriously West Ham will approach this one. That said, Andrew’s selection against Macclesfield suggest he also has eyes on a bigger prize with the Bee’s needing an own goal to progress.