West Ham advance to FA Cup quarterfinals following Ouattara's spot-kick blunder

West Ham United celebrated a hard-fought victory over Brentford FC, advancing to the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 5-3 penalty shoot-out win at the London Stadium on March 9, 2026.

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Nuno Espirito Santo's side had twice taken the lead, only to be pegged back by Igor Thiago's brace, with Jarrod Bowen scoring a double to force extra-time.

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Dango Ouattara's ill-fated attempt at a 'Panenka' penalty in the shoot-out proved costly, as his effort was easily saved by West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.

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West Ham capitalized on Ouattara's mistake, with Bowen, Valentin Castellanos, Callum Wilson, Tomas Soucek, and Konstantinos Mavropanos all converting their spot-kicks to secure a quarter-final tie against Leeds in April.

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The win marks a welcome respite for West Ham, who are struggling in the Premier League, sitting third bottom of the table with nine games to avoid relegation to the Championship.

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Brentford, meanwhile, missed the opportunity to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 1989, despite sitting seventh in the Premier League and being in contention for European qualification.

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Nuno Espirito Santo made seven changes to his side, prioritizing their survival bid in the league, as the threat of relegation looms large.

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West Ham took the lead in the 19th minute, with Mateus Fernandes' cross being headed down by Soucek, and Bowen reacting quickest to score past Brentford keeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

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Brentford drew level nine minutes later, as Thiago glanced Nathan Collins' header into the net with his chest, with the goal standing after a VAR check for a potential handball and offside.

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West Ham regained the lead in the 34th minute, with Bowen scoring from the spot after Adama Traore was tripped inside the penalty area by Michael Kayode, following a VAR intervention.

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Brentford's Collins had a header cleared off the line by Ollie Scarles, while West Ham's Axel Disasi missed a golden opportunity, scuffing his chance from close-range after Kelleher denied Soucek.

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Kelleher made another fine save from Soucek on the stroke of half-time, and Bowen was unable to complete his hat-trick as Kelleher produced yet another good stop from the England forward in the second half.

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West Ham's misses came back to haunt them in the 81st minute, as Brentford equalized to force extra-time, with Thiago stepping up to fire home from the spot after Crysencio Summerville conceded a penalty with a push on Kayode.

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Thiago's goal was his 21st in all competitions, as he pushes for a place in Brazil's World Cup squad, and having used all their substitutes, West Ham finished extra-time with 10 men after Summerville hobbled off in the closing moments.