One excuse that wasn’t cited in last night’s performance — though it’s worth acknowledging the club faces a number of deeper underlying issues — was the major global outage of Amazon Web Services (AWS), which disrupted sectors ranging from banking and education to entertainment and sport.
Among the many affected was West Ham United, whose Premier League clash against Brentford was notably impacted due to the failure of AWS-powered systems, both in match preparation and in the minutes before kick-off.
Max Hahn, West Ham’s Head of Technical Recruitment and Analysis, has been a vocal advocate of AWS. Earlier this year, he even presented at their conference to showcase how West Ham had integrated the platform across the club’s technological infrastructure.
As I’ve highlighted in previous articles, West Ham leverage AWS for a wide range of operations including:
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Match analysis: powering real-time analytics for player performance, ball tracking and tactical insights.
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Fan engagement: supporting digital platforms that connect with supporters.
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Data storage & security: safeguarding sensitive player data, scouting reports and strategic plans in the cloud.
When the Cloud Crashes, Football Feels It
The AWS outage caused widespread disruption across global platforms. As one of the internet’s key infrastructure providers, millions of users reported issues via Downdetector, with many services grinding to a halt for several hours.
West Ham’s match against Brentford became an unexpected casualty. Just four minutes before kick-off, Premier League officials confirmed that the semi-automated offside technology — powered by AWS — would be suspended.
This system, introduced to improve the accuracy and speed of offside decisions, relies heavily on cloud computing to process data in real time from stadium cameras and sensors. With AWS down, referees reverted to last season’s manual VAR method.
The effect was immediate: Brentford striker Igor Thiago had a goal disallowed using traditional VAR lines, sparking debate about fairness, consistency, and whether the same decision would’ve been reached with automated tech.
This incident should serve as a wake-up call to clubs across the footballing pyramid. Relying solely on one cloud provider carries significant risk — and the chaos at the London Stadium on Monday is proof that modern football is more reliant on digital infrastructure than ever before.
I dont think AWS caused Nuno to put a Left Back at Right Back though, or play no striker (despite the need for goals)!!