News about Tomas Soucek

BRENTFORD 1-1 WEST HAM - HENRY CLARK AT THE GTECH COMMUNITY STADIUM: The danger couldn't have been any more obvious to West Ham, whose analysts will have spent all week examining Brentford's tactical strengths and frailties to the nth degree. What they really needed to be keeping check on was the clock. Because against Brentford, who have forged a reputation as the league's fast starters, you have to be on your guard from the very off. Two weeks ago, away at Manchester City, it took Yoane Wissa 22 seconds to open the scoring against Manchester City. At Tottenham last week they proved it wasn't a fluke. Rather Bryan Mbeumo showed it was a ploy, finding the back of the net after 23 seconds.

Jorginho, Tomas Soucek and Manuel Ugarte to each commit 2+ fouls tonight has been enhanced to 12/1 courtesy of a Price Boost in Sky Bet's Player Stat Accas market. Jorginho committed two fouls in his last start, while Soucek committed two fouls in his most recent outing. Additionally, Ugarte committed six fouls in Manchester United's 7-0 win over Barnsley in the Carabao Cup last week. For those interested in the acca - Jorginho's Arsenal host Bolton and Soucek's West Ham battle Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, while Ugarte's United take on Eredivisie side Twente in the Europa League.

KATHRYN BATTE AT THE LONDON STADIUM: Julen Lopetegui is not the first West Ham boss to be booed off at the London Stadium. It was not the same level of toxicity others before him have faced and that is because it is still early days. But the stats do not make for good reading. It is now three home games played, three home games lost. There had been some encouraging signs in the 3-1 defeat by Manchester City before the international break, especially in the second half. 

West Ham - who secured their maiden victory of the 2024-25 season against Crystal Palace over the weekend - are 8/13 favourites to win their Carabao Cup tie against Bournemouth tonight. Meanwhile, the Cherries are 6/5 outsiders to upset the applecart at London Stadium. For those after longer odds, the four Price Boosts on offer for this contest - of which include Niclas Fullkrug to score in 90 minutes at 2/1, for it to be a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes at 8/1, James Ward-Prowse to score from outside the area in 90 minutes at 12/1, and Tomas Soucek to score a header in 90 minutes at 14/1.

SIMON JONES: Nottingham Forest's proposed deal for Santiago Gimenez hit a hitch on Monday night after the 23-year-old expressed doubts about a move to the City Ground. Gimenez wants to play in the Premier League but is unsure about committing to Forest and wants to consider his options further.  A handful of clubs are showing interest in the Mexico international as the window draws to a close this week.

KATHRYN BATTE AT SELHURST PARK: Tomas Soucek said that stopping a Crystal Palace ball boy from being crushed was a better feeling than scoring in Julen Lopetegui's first win in charge of West Ham. Soucek's 67th-minute strike sparked wild celebrations in the away end, with an advertising board falling down under the weight of celebrating supporters and trapping the ball boy. Soucek lifted up the board and Jarrod Bowen helped pull him to safety. The youngster, who looked shaken, was led away by a groundsman and assessed by medical staff, who ensured he was fine. 'I was so happy when I scored,' Soucek said. 'I enjoyed that moment with the fans, they were going crazy - and then I saw the barrier on the ball boy. Straight away I forgot about the goal and tried to save the boy. I lifted him so he could get away and then I spoke to him after. He's fine which is the main thing.

SPORTS AGENDA: Manchester United's drive to increase revenues has led to a rare increase in the capacity at Old Trafford.  Since the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe at the start of the year, the club have carried out a wide-ranging review not only identifying areas where savings can be made but also aimed at ensuring revenues are as high as possible.  As part of previous plans, entrances were widened at the scoreboard end of the ground to cater for an extended platform for fans who use wheelchairs. 

SHEKHAR BHATIA: A fan who fell on top of the Crystal Palace ball boy as West Ham fans celebrated a goal is trying to reach the lad and invite him to the London Stadium. Jack Levin, who was celebrating his 62nd birthday, plunged forward bringing down an LED advertising board on the child as other fans also got caught in the crush. Mr Levin, a legal costs official, was seen by millions of Match of the Day viewers, falling onto the hoarding which then fell onto the boy before goal scorer Tomas Soucek came to his rescue.

There was a worrying moment at Selhurst Park during West Ham United's 2-0 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday. It occurred directly after Tomas Soucek scored the opening goal of the game in the 67th minute. Soucek and his team-mates ran over to the Hammers supporters to celebrate in front of them. But amid the wild celebrations, several fans fell onto the field when an LED advertising screen gave way.

KATHRYN BATTE AT SELHURST PARK: Julen Lopetegui had said it would take time for West Ham's eight summer signings to settle in east London. When the team news came out at Selhurst Park, there was no doubt disappointment in the away end to see an unchanged starting XI from the opening day defeat by Aston Villa - with Max Kilman and Guido Rodriguez the only new arrivals in the line-up. But by full-time they could perhaps appreciate Lopetegui's slow and steady approach. Second-half substitutes Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Niclas Fullkrug breathed life into what had been a fairly dull London derby. 

Multiple Premier League players have teamed up with TNT Sports to let fans know exactly how their names should be pronounced. A video published by the broadcaster featured 15 players and three managers reading out their own names while facing the camera. Among the players to feature in the video were Manchester United's new £36.5million striker Joshua Zirkzee, Arsenal's new £42m defender Riccardo Calafiori and two Chelsea summer signings in Marc Guiu and Tosin Adarabioyo. New Liverpool boss Arne Slot also made an appearance, along with fellow managers Sean Dyche and Nuno Espirito Santo. The other stars involved in the video were Erling Haaland, Bruno Fernandes, Tomas Soucek, Wout Faes, Vladimir Coufal, Iliman Ndiaye, Niclas Fullkrug, Ben Brereton Diaz, Yukinari Sugawara, Tim Iroegbunam and Stephy Mavididi.

Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as West Ham under newly appointed boss Julen Lopetegui take on Aston Villa in the Saturday evening kick-off game.

Tomas Soucek hit the ground under a challenge from Matty Cash, with referee Tony Harrington pointing to the penalty spot, much to the protests of Cash and the Villa defenders. Soucek didn't appear too bothered by the challenge, with the midfielder appearing to try and play on before the whistle was blown. After a VAR check, the on-field decision was confirmed and Lucas Paqueta sent Emiliano Martinez the wrong way to net the second goal of the game.

CHRUS SUTTON - HOST OF OUR UNMISSABLE IT'S ALL KICKING OFF! PODCAST: Premier League football is back! After a summer of football which saw England fall agonisingly short in the Euros once again and Argentina rule supreme in the Copa America, the return of domestic football on these shores is merely hours away. The new 2024-25 Premier League season is upon us with Manchester United and Fulham kicking things off on Friday ahead of what promises to be a brilliant season ahead.

There were own goals and wonder goals. There were script-changing late goals. Records were shattered, hearts broken and noses busted in the group stage of Euro 2024. There were bright shiny newbies and great golden oldies. Unlikely heroes burst from the fringes. There were pink kits and pretzels, armies of tartan, invasions of orange. Blaring car horns of late-night celebration, doner kebabs and mighty steins of ale.

A mass brawl broke out between both sets of players following the full time whistle in Czechia's Euro 2024 match against Turkey on Wednesday night. Turkey had just prevailed 2-1 in Hamburg to book a last-16 tie with Austria, while the result meant Czechia were eliminated after finishing bottom of Group F. But the final whistle did not signal the end of the action, as players from both sides confronted each other in chaotic scenes.

Czechia were something of a surprise package at the last European Championship, reaching the quarter-finals before falling to Denmark. Their memorable campaign included a group stage victory over Scotland at Hampden Park - featuring the goal of the tournament from Patrik Schick. A draw against Croatia and narrow loss to England showed Czechia are not a team to underestimate, as proven by their 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the last 16.

Another Premier League campaign reached its climax on Sunday and quite a lot looks familiar. Manchester City are champions again, becoming the first team to win the English top-flight four times in a row, ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool. Meanwhile at the opposite end, the three clubs that came up - Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton Town - are the three going straight back down again. Following the season's conclusion, we grade all 20 clubs in our annual report cards, with part two covering Liverpool through to Wolves.

Luton fans clashed with stewards as their side's hopes of Premier League suffered a major blow in defeat to West Ham. A video shared on social media showed dramatic scenes in the away end during the closing stages of the game as some travelling supporters became embroiled in melee with stewards. The disruption is said to have been caused by stewards attempting to remove at least two fans from the lower tier.

Players from every club took part in a segment where they attempted to place the grounds of all 20 top-flight outfits in their correct geographical location. The task was made simpler by generic markers which had been stuck onto locations up and down the country. All they had to do was select the right team for the right spot. Though, admittedly, the mess of clubs in London, and to a lesser degree in the north west, made the challenge more difficult. Still, they would still be expected to correctly identify where their own ground is.

David Moyes' West Ham will have a mountain to climb when they take on Xabi Alonso's unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday.  The German side are unbeaten in all competitions in 2023-24 and, due to this, find themselves 16 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table.  It could be an uncomfortable afternoon for the Hammers when they travel to Germany and with that in mind, Sky Bet have offered a number of Price Boosts. 

KIERAN GILL: Despite West Ham fans' wrangling over the five minutes and 37 seconds at the London Stadium before the international break, football's representatives have no plans to place a time limit on VAR checks. It was the longest delay to date in Premier League history as the home team's potential champion over Aston Villa was disallowed, prompting calls for a limit of two minutes in effect on Stockley Park interventions.

KIERAN GILL: The PGMOL face the PGMOL as having to explain why VAR took an embarrassing five minutes and 37 seconds to disallow West Ham's winner over Aston Villa, just a month after the Premier League warned the referee body that lengthy delays are harming their product. The check at the London Stadium on Sunday was the longest since VAR had attended the English game in 2019 as supporters of the event had no idea what was going on, although Stockley Park determined whether Tomas Soucek had handled the ball before scoring. The Premier League regularly inform the PGMOL about their results, and it is expected that they will seek an explanation for the dramatic stallation in their next meeting. It comes after Tony Scholes, the league's top football officer, complained in February that checks are taking too long and that reforms must be made.

By 'ridiculous,' long VAR checks such as the five-minute, 37-second referral in West Ham's draw with Aston Villa on Sunday, paying Premier League spectators are being left in the dark. That was the opinion of It's All Kicking Off panel Lee Clayton, Ian Ladyman, and Chris Sutton, who found that officials refused to approve Tomas Soucek's 'winner's handball. Multiple players from both squads and over 62,000 paying fans inside the London Stadium were left sitting around as VAR official Tony Harrington looked at numerous angles of the situation.