West Ham United

The Hammers’ Brentford curse struck again after Nathan Collins condemned them to a 3-2 defeat on an unlikely afternoon of firsts in west London.

Defender Collins scored his first goal for the club after Jarrod Bowen became the first player in Premier League history to score in each of his side’s first six away matches.

There was also a first goal in 35 matches, and 14 months, for Brentford forward Neal Maupay.

Unfortunately for West Ham, it was a first Premier League win – or even point – against the Bees which eluded them. Thomas Frank’s side have the hoodoo over the Hammers having won all five meetings since they were promoted.

“We weren’t talking about anything weird and wonderful,” said former centre-half Moyes.

“We’ve found that we’ve not dealt with things which as a player I would have been disgusted with myself for not being able to deal with them much better.

“I don’t think my teams do that. That is why I am annoyed that I’ve come here and not been able to defend when put under pressure.”

Maupay headed Brentford into a 10th-minute lead with his first goal since he scored against West Ham in September 2022.

West Ham equalised through a stunning volley from Ghana winger Mohammed Kudus and were ahead after 26 minutes through Bowen’s strike.

But a glaring miss from Michail Antonio before half-time proved costly as West Ham fell foul of two Brentford crosses, with an own goal from Konstantinos Mavropanos and Collins’ fine header giving Brentford a third straight win.

“The first goal was ‘Keystone Cops’,” added Moyes. “If you see that today, how can you win if you don’t deal with those moments?

“The second cross comes from (Bryan) Mbuemo and we should have dealt with that, then a cross to the back post and Collins gets it.

“We’re talking about small things, but small things lead to bigger things. We didn’t deal well enough with the small things.”

Brentford climbed above West Ham after a third straight victory and a 14th London derby without defeat.

“If feels of course very good,” said Frank. “Every win in the Premier League feels fantastic and coming back from 2-1 down, against a good team, and also a good performance makes me a happy man.

“I’m smiling, I’m so pleased for Neal. The last three weeks he was showing more and more in training with the sharp touches, the good finishes, more and more confident, getting up to his best level.

“The players were really celebrating Neal’s goal, and that tells you a lot about the group. A goalscoring run? That would be nice.”

The Hammers were beaten 2-0 by Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday, leaving them with a mountain to climb in the return match.

They then blew the chance to climb up to sixth place in the Premier League, and right back into the European shake-up, after two Andreas Pereira goals secured a first win in four for Fulham.

It was the first time the Cottagers had won away to West Ham since 2001 and having dominated the reverse fixture 5-0 in December, they completed a league double over their London rivals for the first time since 1966.

Leverkusen will not be quaking in their boots on the evidence of this timid display.

Yet West Ham should have gone ahead in the opening moments when Lucas Paqueta’s ball over the top saw right-back Vladimir Coufal burst into the area.

His initial effort was repelled by Bernd Leno and when the ball rebounded to the feet of Michail Antonio, the striker blazed over from eight yards.

Mohammed Kudus then curled wide narrowly wide before the lively Paqueta, who is suspended against Leverkusen on Thursday night, hit the side-netting.

But despite their bright start, West Ham conceded to Fulham’s first attack after nine minutes, a goal which would have had manager David Moyes tearing his hair out.

Konstantinos Mavropanos tried to bring down a deep cross from Alex Iwobi but succeeded only in gifting the ball to Pereira, who had been given a free run by Nayef Aguerd.

The Brazilian had the simple task of knocking the ball past Hammers keeper Lukasz Fabianski and finishing into an empty net.

Pereira almost had a second moments later when he slid in to meet Willian’s inviting cross, but he guided it wide.

Coufal has yet to score for West Ham since joining three and a half years ago, and he illustrated why when he crashed a good opportunity wide from Paqueta’s cross.

After the break Fabianski made a big save to tip Iwobi’s shot wide, but he was powerless to prevent Pereira doubling the lead after 72 minutes.

Paqueta was robbed in midfield by Joao Palhinha and Pereira laid the ball off to Rodrigo Muniz. He played in Iwobi, who burst forward before crossing for Pereira to apply another simple finish.

A damaging defeat for the Hammers had a sad postscript when teenage substitute George Earthy had to be carried off on a stretcher after suffering a serious head injury in a collision with team-mate Edson Alvarez, just two minutes into his Premier League debut.

The 2021 nominees have been selected based on performance statistics and voting by expert panels consisting of former professional men’s and women’s players and football broadcasters.

The other nominees are Mexico star Hirving Lozano (Napoli), the Canadian pair Jonathan David (Lille) and Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) and Americans Weston McKennie (Juventus) and Christian Pulisic (Chelsea).

The winner will be determined in voting by national team head coaches and captains in the region, media and fans via www.concacaf.com.

Antonio has so far scored three goals in six games for the Reggae Boyz in World Cup Qualifying and nine goals for West Ham this season, including eight in the Premier League.

The Gunners backed up last week’s big triumph over Liverpool with another statement victory, their biggest away win in the Premier League.

Their title bid hit the buffers in this fixture last season when they blew a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 but there was no chance of a repeat after William Saliba headed them in front and West Ham promptly collapsed.

Declan Rice grabbed a pair of assists against his former club while Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Magalhaes and Leandro Trossard were also on target, all before half-time.

Saka scored his second midway through the second half and Rice rubbed salt in the wounds with a long-range sixth.

“We are maintaining and building some momentum now,” said Gunners boss Arteta.

“Performances have been strong as well as results in recent weeks. We need to maintain that because other teams are doing that as well. We are not the only ones.”

It was a chastening afternoon for West Ham and manager David Moyes pulled no punches after his heaviest defeat in charge.

“It was a really poor day for us, very difficult to explain really,” he said.

“Arsenal played extremely well, give them credit, but it’s difficult to explain how we played so poorly.

“We’re normally a lot stronger, we didn’t show that today. I’m disappointed with the way we fell apart when the game hadn’t looked as if it was going to be as big as that.

“I don’t think since I’ve come back to the club my team’s defended that way, ever. We were weak today, we didn’t do our jobs well enough, we didn’t fight to contain it harder.

“I’ve had teams here which maybe haven’t had the same quality that we have now but we would have made sure we didn’t put in a performance like that, that’s for sure.”

When West Ham beat Arsenal and Manchester United in December, there was talk of a Champions League challenge.

They have lost to both in the past eight days, shipping nine goals in the process, and are still without a win in 2024.

Alarm bells might not be ringing for Moyes just yet, but the sight of hundreds of West Ham fans leaving at half-time told a sorry tale and the Scot cannot keep dining out on last season’s Europa Conference League success forever.

“To be a football supporter, and especially at this club – I came back twice to keep them out of relegation – there’s always going to be bad times,” he added.

“It was only a few months ago we were having probably the best time West Ham have ever had.

“Probably the last three years have been as good a time as West Ham have had. Sixth, seventh in the league, a semi-final in Europe, a final.

“I still think this club has grown and undoubtedly we’ve had a terrible day today. I totally understand them leaving but at football clubs you’re going to have bad days. I certainly wouldn’t forget the good ones.”

The England midfielder’s departure from the club he joined a decade ago was confirmed by the Hammers on Saturday afternoon, with Arsenal announcing the switch had been completed.

Rice’s move to the Emirates Stadium on a long-term contract sees him become the most expensive English player in history and follows on from the former Irons captain having guided his old club to victory in the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina.

Earlier on Saturday, Rice had penned an open letter to West Ham fans, revealing the desire of playing in the Champions League – which Arsenal will next season – was one of the reasons behind his “tough” decision to leave.

West Ham’s joint-chairman David Sullivan confirmed last month the east London club had a gentleman’s agreement with Rice to allow him to leave this summer after the player turned down the offer of a highly-lucrative new contract.

Rice made 245 appearances for the Irons, with his last helping secure a first trophy since 1980.

A post shared by Declan Rice (@declanrice)

“This club and its supporters will always be in my heart and forever a part of who I am,” Rice said. “Ultimately, though, it has only ever been about my ambition to play at the very highest level of the game.

“Playing on the opposite team to West Ham for the first time will be an unusual experience.

“I’m not sure yet exactly how I will feel, but I also know you will all understand and respect that my professional loyalties have to now lie with my new club.”

Rice is the latest addition to an Arsenal squad which has already been strengthened over the summer, with the arrival of Netherlands defender Jurrien Timber having been confirmed on Friday.

German international Kai Havertz has moved from Chelsea, while the Gunners have also seen France defender William Saliba and Reiss Nelson commit their futures to the club on new long-term contracts.

With Granit Xhaka having left to join Bayer Leverkusen, the arrival of Rice will further bolster Mikel Areta’s midfield options as Arsenal look to close the gap on Manchester City after finishing runners-up in the Premier League last season.

The Gunners needed victory to replace Liverpool at the summit but lost 2-0 on a night where Hammers boss David Moyes finally landed a victory at the Emirates Stadium.

West Ham lost Kurt Zouma ahead of the game and Lucas Paqueta after just over half an hour but hit the front through Tomas Soucek’s strike, awarded after VAR could not determine whether the whole ball had gone out of play in the build-up.

A second-half header from former Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos secured the points and things could have been even better for the visitors had Said Benrahma not seen a last-gasp penalty saved by David Raya.

Moyes had failed to secure victory in his previous 72 Premier League away games at Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester United, so this was a long time coming for the Scot.

Arsenal laboured when they needed to continue their recent winning run in London derbies to go back to the top of the table.

Instead, only captain Martin Odegaard could hold his head high on a night where their defence creaked and Gabriel Jesus was guilty of missing a couple of very good chances.

Arsenal started well, with some great touches in and around the West Ham box from Odegaard in particular.

But at the other end their defending left a lot to be desired, as Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Magalhaes failed to deal with a simple ball into the middle.

Jarrod Bowen capitalised by latching onto the miscue and teed up Soucek to finish – the goal surviving a lengthy VAR check which could not ultimately make a call on if the ball had not gone out of play before Bowen’s cutback.

Arsenal looked to respond although the goal gave West Ham something to defend, although Jesus found a way in behind with a subtle flick into Bukayo Saka, whose header was brilliantly saved by Alphonse Areola.

Paqueta had been hurt in the warm-up and lasted just over half an hour, with his fellow Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli curling an effort just wide for Arsenal as they continued in vain to find a leveller.

The hosts were getting closer, West Ham gifting possession as two passes saw Arsenal in on goal once more, this time Saka hitting the base of the post from an acute angle.

Former West Ham captain Declan Rice fired just over from 25 yards but it was another player coming back to haunt his former club who would find the back of the net soon after.

Mavropanos made just seven league starts in three years as an Arsenal player but returned to the Premier League last summer with the Hammers and headed them two goals ahead before the hour.

Jesus then headed straight at Areola before sending another fine chance well over the bar moments after Arteta introduced Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson off the bench.

Areola was on hand again to keep out a Leandro Trossard effort, with Vladimir Coufal clearing a William Saliba header off the line from the resulting corner.

Rice had come off the bench during a 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat on his return to West Ham earlier in the season and endured another night to forget here as he conceded a late penalty for tripping Emerson Palmieri in the box – only for Raya to keep out substitute Benrahma’s tame spot-kick.

The 16-team biennial championship for North America, Central America and the Caribbean gets under way at Soldier Field in Chicago on Saturday, with the Reggae Boyz set to open against reigning seven-time champion United States in Group A, which also includes Trinidad and Tobago and first-timer St Kitts and Nevis.

Antonio, who was instrumental in West Ham's successful run to their first major European honour since 1965 when they defeated Fiorentina 1-0 in the Europa Conference League final earlier this month, said the feeling is still somewhat indescribable, but lifting the Gold Cup would certainly help him snap out of his dreamlike state.

The 36-year-old was the Hammers's top scorer with 14 goals in the season, which he pointed out was the most enjoyable of his eight seasons at the club, and he is now aiming to bring that form to the fore on the international stage.

"Obviously, I know I won the Europa Conference League, but it hasn't set home as yet, but it was amazing feeling celebrating with the Jamaican flag, everyone there was celebrating their country, so I was definitely celebrating mine and the island where my mom grew up and the place where she always brought me from when I was young. 

"So, it (winning the Europa Conference League) was an opportunity for me to have the Jamaican flag around me and I was never going to miss that opportunity. But I'm here now with the Jamaican team and hoping to win another title," Antonio said.

He will have plenty more opportunities to celebrate the black, gold and green, provided all goes accordingly for the Heimir Hallgrimsson-coached Reggae Boyz throughout their campaign.

Should the Jamaicans come out successful at the end of this year’s Gold Cup, it would be their first title in the history of the tournament that started in 1991. They went close in the 2015 and 2017 finals which they lost 3-1 and 2-1 to Mexico and United States respectively. 

Aside from their 2015 upset semi-final win en route to the final, the Reggae Boyz have struggled in games against the United States in the tournament, losing five of their last six meetings, the most recent being in 2019 and 2021, when they went down 3-1 and 1-0 in the semifinals and quarterfinals.

By virtue of those statics, Saturday's opener will by no means be easy, but Antonio seems confident the Boyz will test the mettle of the B.J. Callaghan-coached United States team that is missing some key players, who factored in their recent Concacaf Nations League triumph. 

"It (our build up) has been good, spirits seem high, everyone seems confident, and the training went well. It was my first session with the team and I'm quite positive. Obviously, I've got one cup down and like I said, I am here for another," Antonio reiterated. 

"I am definitely enjoying coming here (into tournaments) and linking up with the boys, we have a good bond now, as the atmosphere and the camaraderie is always good. I enjoy it and we're going to keep going," he added.

With the Reggae Boyz team bolstered by other Premier League attacking talents such as Aston Villa's Leon Bailey, newcomer Demarai Gray of Everton and Fulham's Bobby Reid, Antonio believes the team has enough quality to not only end Hallgrimsson's seven-match winless streak, but more importantly, lay a solid foundation, as they build towards the 2026 World Cup. 

"One thing with the Jamaican team is that there is a lot of potential and quality out there and people are starting to turn up. Obviously quite a few Premier League players are now in the setup, Demarai Gray, Bobby Reid, Me, Bailey, so there are some quality players turning up here," Antonio said. 

"But it is not just the Premier League players, obviously there are a lot of quality players from the Island, Andre Blake, being named keeper of the year last year in the US, so it's a good squad being built," he ended.

Coronavirus has, according to official figures, caused around 6,500 deaths from approximately 170,000 confirmed cases worldwide.

As the pandemic continues, there are going to be some big decisions made in the world of sport over the coming week, with UEFA's 55 members set to come together – via video conference – on Tuesday.

The fate of this season's Champions League and Europa League will be up for debate, while Euro 2020 is also to be discussed.

Here is a look at the latest developments:

Ahead of Tuesday's meeting with UEFA, Italian football federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina confirmed he will call for Euro 2020 to be postponed, in the hope that might allow the Serie A season to be finished in June.

This proposal will likely be backed by LaLiga boss Javier Tebas, who is convinced the top-flight season in Spain will be completed. Swiss FA president Dominique Blanc, meanwhile, has confirmed he has coronavirus.

It is not yet clear what will happen in the Premier League, with the teams set to reconvene for another meeting on Thursday and, after coming under criticism for stating that the season should be considered "null and void", West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady defended her comments.

"The Premier League and EFL are doing all we can to ensure the season is finished. Including suspending games, isolating players, and if required playing games behind closed doors and into the summer months," she wrote on Twitter.

"My point was safety of fans, players, staff come first and if the remaining games just cannot be played the only fair and reasonable thing is to declare [the] season null and void."

In a newspaper column, Wayne Rooneybacked the decision to postpone fixtures in England, but criticised the Premier League and EFL for taking so long to make the call.

More players have confirmed they have tested positive for COVID-19.

Valencia defender Ezequiel Garaybecame the first LaLiga player to be named as having the illness, with the club adding four more members of the first-team playing and coaching staff had also tested positive.

Valencia's former Manchester City defender Eliaquim Mangala confirmed later on Sunday that he was one of those with the virus.

In Serie A, Sampdoria's Omar Colleyposted a video to his official Instagram account in which he refuted his club's claim that he too had received a positive test result.

Meanwhile, Manchester United's Paul Pogba joined the raft of sports stars pledging to support people during the crisis, as he launched a fundraiser to mark his 27th birthday.

In France, Paris Saint-Germain announced they had extended the suspension of all club operations until March 18.

In the United States, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert– the first NBA player to be diagnosed with coronavirus – provided a positive update on his recovery, while also stating: "I wish I would have took this thing more seriously and I hope everyone else will do so because we can do it together."

Not all sport has been postponed just yet, with rugby league in both Britain and Australia continuing for now.

In Super League, Castleford Tigers ran out winners over defending champions St Helens, though in the National Rugby League (NRL), Melbourne Storm's Cameron Smith called for the competition to be suspended.

Round two is set to go ahead next week, albeit behind closed doors, while New Zealand Warriors have elected to remain in Australia rather than return to Auckland, where they would have to self-isolate for 14 days.

With the outbreak of COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the globe, it has resulted in the postponement of competitions worldwide as governments attempt to combat the pandemic.

A small number of events still went ahead, but sports stars, teams and indeed supporters were otherwise left to find other means of entertainment.

With the number of confirmed cases worldwide now totalling over 155,000, we round up all the latest news and updates.

Germany's prestige friendly with Italylater this month became the latest football fixture to bite the dust, with the majority of upcoming international matches having now been wiped out.

More major organisations have halted all footballing activities until a later date, including Qatar, Moroccoand Egypt.

A small number of competitions, most notably the A-League, Russian Premier League and Mexico's Liga MX, did manage to go ahead as planned.

Indeed, NRL games also avoided the cut, as did a handful of Super Rugby matches before an indefinite ban was put in place later in the day.

Another competition to fall was Australia's one-day international series against New Zealand, which was already being played behind closed doors.

With New Zealand's government introducing strict protocols to attempt to slow the spread of the virus, the Black Caps – along with Super Rugby side Highlanders – returned home from Australia and Argentina respectively in order to beat the new restrictions, which will mean any new arrival to the country, even if they are a citizen, has to self-isolate for 14 days.

With the top-four tiers of English football being shelved until at least early April, there was plenty of focus on the National League as six games were given the green light.

There was some controversy in Argentina as River Plate's Copa Superligaclash with Atletico Tucuman was suspended after the home side refused to open their stadium.

Independiente's tie with Velez Sarsfield was played out in full, albeit behind closed doors, with the hosts claiming a 1-0 victory.

In Italy, Napoliurged their supporters to sing from their balconies in unison as Fiorentina's Patrick Cutrone and two more Sampdoriaplayers tested positive for COVID-19.

Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy revealed a negative test result after recently self-isolating, but Carlo Ancelottiand Angelo Ogbonna questioned the Premier League's handling of the outbreak, while Jordan Pickford denied reports he is self-isolating.

West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady, meanwhile, claimed the competition should be "void" – a suggestion Liverpoollegend Jamie Carragher quickly dismissed.

The lack of football did not stop certain clubs from keeping supporters entertained, though, with LaLiga side Leganes posting live updates of a fictitious match against Real Valladolid, which they won 2-1.

Perhaps inspired by their Spanish counterparts, Southamptongot Manchester City involved in an online game of noughts and crosses to help fill the void.

The downtime also gave football stars a chance to recuperate, with Sergio Ramos and Alexis Sanchez among those to post images of their extra-curricular activities.

Others, such as Liverpoolgoalkeeper Alisson and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, opted to use social media to educate their followers on how to properly wash their hands, while Barcelonasuperstar Lionel Messi used his profile to echo the sentiments of Cristiano Ronaldo in calling for people to follow the guidance of health organisations.

As Ronaldo and Jurgen Klopp were praised by the World Health Organisation for "protecting people from coronavirus", former United States president Barack Obama hailed a host of NBA stars – including Giannis Antetokounmpoand Zion Williamson – for donating large amounts to help support arena staff during the league's hiatus.

UFC superstar Conor McGregor labelled the pandemic "a stupid f****** virus", but later moved to clarify his aunt did not die after contracting the disease after previously suggesting as such.

And in more positive news, Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe revealed his country still plan for the 2020 Olympic Games to go ahead in Tokyo, starting in late July.

The International Olympic Committee will have the final say, but ABE is confident the Games will be staged "without problem".

Brady was criticised earlier this month for suggesting in a newspaper column that the top-flight campaign in England should be declared null and void due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

She was accused of putting her own club's interests first, with the Hammers only outside the Premier League relegation zone by virtue of goal difference.

Her suggestion riled Liverpool supporters in particular, given the expectation they will claim their first league title in 30 years should the season be completed.

She defended her initial comments, saying she was merely thinking of players and fans amid the coronavirus pandemic, but has now said the Premier League plan to “get going as soon as possible” still stands.

"It is a paradox that at a time football would be a great comfort to millions, it must not be played because, rightly, people's health is our priority," Brady wrote in The Sun.

"What is going on in our country and the world is unprecedented and the game is not a necessity – like food or healthcare.

"But to millions upon millions of us, football's disappearance from life is very relevant indeed. So, we all want it back in a hurry.

"There's the Premier League to be decided although, obviously, not the title – which is all but owned by Liverpool.

"But neither the Premier League nor the EFL have finished this season's games. Plus, there is the FA Cup, continental leagues, European competitions, European Championship and almost everything in between.

"The next Premier League meeting is on Friday and the main topic of conversation will be when games can restart. When we - all Premier League clubs - last spoke, we agreed to get going again as soon as possible. And that games will run into July, if req­uired, to get this campaign finished.

"This is the plan. This is what we want to deliver."

Brady also revealed eight West Ham players went into self-isolation after showing mild symptoms of the virus.

"Players are currently not in training and housebound to comply with social distancing rules currently in place until April 13, when we expect training to restart," she added.

"And following further Government guidelines, we have eight West Ham players in isolation. Although I am relieved to say they are all showing mild symptoms and, along with their families, seem to be well."

The top four tiers of English football have been suspended until April 3 at the earliest, with delays to the season expected to continue beyond that, and Brady said time constraints made completing the season an unrealistic prospect.

Writing in The Sun, Brady described the challenges clubs face in keeping players fit and healthy while the virus continues to spread around the world.

She said: "The issue is that medical advice is that for every day a player is in isolation he needs a day to recover his fitness.

"This on top of the issue that COVID-19 is so highly contagious the thought that everyone will be in and out of isolation and fit to play on April 4 seems so unlikely.

"So what if the league cannot be finished? As games in both the PL and in the EFL are affected, the only fair and reasonable thing to do is declare the whole season null and void."

Brady's comments come with West Ham languishing in 16th place in the Premier League table, level on points with Watford in 17th and Bournemouth in 18th.

She admitted wiping this season from the record would infuriate the likes of Liverpool, who are poised to win their first league title since 1989-90, but said people's safety must be put first.

"Who knows who would have gone down or come up if the games have not actually been played in full?" she said.

"A huge blow to Liverpool who might be robbed of their first title in 30 years.

"This will be discussed between the PL and the clubs next week at an emergency meeting.

"There are, of course, financial implications, wages and transfer debts must be paid and there is lost broadcast revenue, lost matchday income but this pales into insignificance as the health and well-being of everyone must come first."

The West Ham vice-chairman was accused of putting her own club's interests first in her initial comments, made in a newspaper column, with the Hammers only outside the Premier League relegation zone by virtue of goal difference.

Her suggestion riled Liverpool supporters in particular, given the expectation they will claim their first league title in 30 years should the season be completed, and former Reds defender Jamie Carragher was among those to express disdain for her suggestion.

But Brady defended herself on Twitter on Sunday, saying: "Everyone agrees that LFC deserve to win the title.

"The Premier League and EFL are doing all we can to ensure the season is finished. Including suspending games, isolating players, and if required playing games behind closed doors and into the summer months.

"My point was safety of fans, players, staff come first and if the remaining games just cannot be played the only fair and reasonable thing is to declare [the] season null and void."

Matches in the Premier League and EFL have been suspended until April 3 at the earliest, with most top-tier clubs facing nine remaining fixtures.

Brady indicated that she feels awarding Liverpool the title, or indeed relegating the clubs currently in the bottom three, would be unjust if the remaining fixtures cannot be fulfilled.

She added: "Who knows who would have gone down or come up if the PL/EFL games have not actually been played in full?"

The West Ham vice-chairman says she "fundamentally" believes footballers should have the choice as to whether they make themselves available whenever the 2019-20 season resumes.

But Brady sees the matter, along with the issue of playing at neutral grounds and the possibility of infections breaking out in the league, among the complications in getting top-flight football moving again.

"Our club is moving quickly and our players have already undergone cardiac screening and blood tests," Brady wrote in The Sun.

"The bottom line is our players have three main points yet to be fully resolved. They are: Will I be forced to training? Will I be forced to play? And what happens if someone tests positive once we are playing?

"Players want it to be their choice whether they turn out or not, letting them decide should they have personal issues, such as living at home with a vulnerable adult or young children.

"Fundamentally, I agree with this position. But in the event of a relegation battle some clubs might not be able to have the luxury of giving a choice to their players.

"How would any club feel if an absence of one or two top men was an element in relegation?

"It might not seem fair to play without them, but neither would it be fair to force players to play if they have genuine concerns about doing so. What is reasonable to one club may end up unfair to another."

Brady detailed a range of measures West Ham are taking to protect players on their return to the training pitch.

With car-sharing and tackling initially banned, the emphasis is on cutting out contact, and Brady said West Ham would disinfect equipment such as corner flags and goals.

"And even the grass," Brady wrote, "although how remains a mystery as that usually kills it."

West Ham sit 16th in the 20-team Premier League, outside the relegation zone on goal difference with nine games remaining.

Top-flight clubs are due to meet next week to discuss potential next steps following Friday's announcement that no games will be played until at least April 3.

Writing in her column for The Sun, Brady claimed abandoning the Premier League two months early would be the fairest thing to do, meaning Liverpool missing out on the title.

Runaway leaders Liverpool lead Manchester City by 25 points but boss Jurgen Klopp said he accepted the decision to suspend all matches as the COVID-19 death toll rises.

TV presenter Piers Morgan expressed his support for Brady's comments on Twitter, but former Liverpool defender Carragher took a different view when responding to the message.

"Have a look at Klopp's comments compared to Karren Brady's," he said, accompanied by a facepalm emoji. 

"What's fair is to finish the season for teams in every league when the football is allowed to start again. 

"The football authorities found a way to put a World Cup in the middle of a season so I’m sure they can sort next season out."

Brady's comments come with West Ham languishing in 16th place in the Premier League, level on points with Watford in 17th and Bournemouth in 18th.

Decisions made by UEFA and CONMEBOL to push back Euro 2020 and the Copa America until 2021 opened the door for domestic competition to continue longer than initially planned.

Upon announcing a four-week extension to the initially planned hiatus on Thursday, the Football Association (FA) revealed it would allow its leagues to continue beyond the June 1 deadline set out in its regulations.

The eventual run-in could prove to be heavily congested. Some Premier League teams are still competing on three fronts, others possess a game in hand, while UEFA is still hoping for a round of international matches in June.

If no games are cut out, we look at how the calendar for English teams could hypothetically shape up if competitions across Europe were able to resume following April 30.

May 2/3 - Matchday 30

May 7 - Postponed Europa League last-16 first legs and unplayed matchday 29 games

May 9/10 - Matchday 31

May 12/13/14 - FA Cup quarter-finals

May 16/17 - Matchday 32

May 19/20/21 - Champions League and Europa League last-16 second legs

May 23/24 - Matchday 33

May 26/27/28 - Champions League and Europa League quarter-final first legs

May 30/31 - Matchday 34

June 2/3/4 - Champions League and Europa League quarter-final second legs

June 6/7 - Matchday 35

June 13/14 - International week

June 20/21 - Matchday 36

June 23/24/25 - Champions League and Europa League semi-final first legs

June 27/28 - Matchday 37

June 30/July 1/2 - FA Cup semi-finals

July 4 - Matchday 38

July 7/8/9 - Champions League and Europa League semi-final second legs

July 11 - FA Cup final

July 15 - Europa League final

July 18 - Champions League final

The Premier League announced on Friday all matches have been postponed until April 3 in wake of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta testing positive for the virus.

Arteta's diagnosis came a fortnight after Arsenal's Europa League tie with Olympiacos, whose owner Evangelos Marinakis attended the game and later revealed he had also contracted the respiratory disease.

Ogbonna played 90 minutes for West Ham in last Saturday's 1-0 loss at Emirates Stadium and is amazed the game was allowed to be staged, with many top leagues either playing games behind closed doors or halting matches completely.

"It's absolutely unacceptable that our game against Arsenal did go ahead," he told Corriere della Serra.

"They'd played Olympiacos and their owner had already been struck down with the virus. It almost seems as if someone needs to die in order for timely decisions to be made.

"It's not a footballing matter, but it's entrenched in the country's mentality.

"They haven't fully grasped the risk surrounding this virus, which can be spread in just a few seconds if you don't behave in the correct way.

"I haven't been tested, which is further proof of the lax attitude here, to say the least."

The Premier League announced the results after 748 tests were administered across Sunday and Monday.

Those who were positive have been ordered to self-isolate for a week.

A statement read: "The Premier League can today confirm that, on Sunday May 17 and Monday May 18, 748 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19.

"Of these, six have tested positive from three clubs.

"Players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for a period of seven days. 

"The Premier League is providing this aggregated information for the purposes of competition integrity and oversight.

"No specific details as to clubs or individuals will be provided by the Premier League due to legal and operational requirements."

The Premier League, like most major sporting competitions across the globe, has been on hiatus since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A decision to suspend the competition was taken after Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi were both found to have contracted COVID-19.

The Bundesliga became the first major European league to resume action at the weekend, while Premier League clubs have voted to return to training in small groups without contact work from Tuesday, despite reports over conflicts of interest among the 20 teams on aspects to do with 'Project Restart'. 

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said on Monday there was flexibility on the June 12 target for fixtures to be played. 

Co-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold and their fellow shareholders are also investing £30million into the club, it emerged on Friday.

The Premier League outfit announced the short-term cost-reducing measures to allow them to cope with paying non-playing staff in the absence of first-team matches.

West Ham last played in a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on March 7, with the season since suspended indefinitely.

The Hammers sit 16th, out of the relegation zone only on goal difference.

Manager David Moyes and vice-chairman Karren Brady are among senior figures who have taken a 30 per cent pay reduction, the club said in a statement.

"The savings created by the measures... will support the entire infrastructure of the club and enable us to retain jobs and continue to pay 100 per cent of staff salaries," the statement read.

Brady said: "I would like to say a big thank you to David Moyes and his backroom team, our captain Mark Noble and our fantastic squad of players for the commitment and determination they have shown to offer their help and support."

Captain Mark Noble said: "At West Ham United, we are one team and our priority reflects the club's aim to help ensure the staff get 100 per cent of their salaries while we are unable to play our matches.

"We continue to do all we can, collectively and individually, throughout this period for the benefit of those around us, our colleagues, our supporters and our community."

Other Premier League clubs - including Tottenham and Newcastle United - have been criticised for furloughing non-playing staff while their first-team stars continue to earn huge wages.

Liverpool also announced an intention to use the UK government's furlough scheme - paying 80 per cent of wages up to £2,500 a month - before backtracking on that decision.

Premier League stars, reportedly led by Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, launched their #PlayersTogether charity fund this week, working with NHS Charities Together.

The Premier League clubs and A-League outfit Brisbane Roar were due to play in Queensland in July ahead of the 2020-21 season.

However, those fixtures were unsurprisingly postponed on Wednesday due to COVID-19, which has killed more than 177,000 people worldwide.

"It is a real shame that we will no longer be able to make it over to Queensland this summer, however, it is the right decision to postpone given the circumstances," West Ham manager David Moyes said in a statement.

"The players and I were really looking forward to seeing our fans and the people of Australia, especially as there was great excitement and support for the tournament.

"This is a situation that has affected the entire world, though, and the only thing that matters at this time is that people stay safe and well.

"We hope the tournament can be rearranged at a later date once things are back to normal, and we look forward to visiting Australia in the future."

Australia has seen more than 6,600 coronavirus cases, including 74 deaths.

Gareth Southgate names his next squad on Thursday ahead of a friendly against Australia and the Euro 2024 qualifier with Italy.

Bowen, who earned four caps last year, was overlooked for the September internationals but Moyes feels his current form makes him hard to ignore.

“I would say Jarrod is as close now as he has ever been,” said Moyes.

“He’s in really good form, quick, sharp and looks like he can do a lot of things.

“I’m not going to pick the England team, but to play for England you have to be able to score in big games. Jarrod’s doing great for us.”

Bowen grabbed his goal after 24 minutes, timing his run into the box to perfection and burying Vladimir Coufal’s low cross.

Tomas Soucek added the second after he was slipped in by Michail Antonio as West Ham all but sewed up a comfortable victory before half-time.

“I liked what I saw in the first half. The first goal was brilliantly worked. There were lots of good things, but not so much in the second half,” added Moyes.

“I wanted us to score more goals but a lot of credit has to go to Sheffield United and their manager after a tough week and a big defeat. But ultimately we got the goals and the win.

“It’s three points in the Premier League and when you look at some of the results today, it shows you can’t just turn up and get three points.”

The Blades did at least improve on their 8-0 defeat at home by Newcastle six days earlier, not that they could have been any worse.

Their boss, Paul Heckingbottom, maintains they can still pick up enough points to stay up.

“We’ll see. I believe it,” he said. “If you look at our games we’ve not lost because other teams are far better, we’ve lost because of key moments. There’s evidence there that we can get the points.

“Results like last week happen. There’s been some surprising ones today. What I didn’t like was the nature of some of the things I saw, I was adamant it was a one-off and I don’t want to see again.

“No one’s going to feel sorry for us. We have to fight for those points.”