NOSTRILDAMUS
Brighton and Hove Albion 1 West Ham 1
Jesse Lingard played on loan for Brighton here seven years ago, scoring three goals in fifteen appearances. On loan to West Ham since January, they desperately need him to return to goal scoring form.
This is West Ham’s preferred starting XI, but for Brighton, Lewis Dunk is absent due to receiving a red against Wolves in the recent 2-1 defeat. The last time they won a game without him was in 2016, which is a stat to eat out on. The third black strip has been a winning feature away from home for the Hammers, but they have yet to beat Brighton in the Premier League in nine attempts.
Alan Smith is still calling West Ham’s 2020-21 Hammer of the Year ‘So Cheque.’ I confess I preferred Sky’s summariser when he was an 18th century Scottish moral philosopher, armed only with his theory of ‘absolute advantage.’ He has often been referred to as the ‘father of capitalism.’ Make what you will of that.
West Ham create their first real chance after 25 minutes when Cresswell’s cross is flicked just wide by Antonio, but Brighton’s decision to play two lines of four across the back means this will be a game of few chances.
Fabianski’s 100th PL Appearance should be one where he helps West Ham achieve their first ever Premier League clean sheet against the Seagulls. And seagulls are not clean creatures, festooning the sea front with their disdain-laden droppings.
Lingard finds Antonio with a superb cross, but though the striker makes excellent ground to get on the end of the ball in, he can’t manufacture the neck twist necessary to turn the looping ball goalwards. This looks to me as though it’ll be a long hard journey for three points, if West Ham are to retain their European dream. Three defeats in the last four is perhaps excusable in the light of missing central players, but there’ll be no excuses tonight if the goals don’t come.
Lingard looks a different player from the last couple of games, dashing about the midfield, looking to retrieve the ball, but Brighton seem interested only in wellying it away every time it runs loose in their penalty area. Souček hits in a powerful effort that Sánchez beats away, the ball fortunately evading Fornals’ leap as he views the prospect of the empty net before him. The last time a Moyes’ half-time talk was over a goalless landscape was at Old Trafford on the 14th March.
Fabianski makes an excellent save from Jahanbakhsh looking for Welbeck early in the second half, and eight minutes later he is beaten by the number 16’s chip, but the ball runs a foot wide with the goal gaping. The game now opens up with chances coming thick and fast at each end, Brighton having the majority of them as the hour mark passes. West Ham are nervous up front and don’t seem able for now to convert any of the chances they fashion. Benrahma makes a welcome appearance in the 64th minute, coming on for Jarrod Bowen. He’s made chances but is yet to score for the Hammers. There could be no better arena for his first claret and blue goal. Adam Lallana comes on for Brighton to mix it up. I feel reminded of the win at Everton just after Christmas, the dogged resistance that turned into three points after Souček’s late winner.
As the game wears on it becomes clear that Brighton would regard a point as an achievement. It is not enough for the Hammers, though.
This game is beginning to resemble an egg timer on the kitchen table. You don’t want to look over at it, but the temptation to is too great. It has drifted back into the tight stalemate it was in the first half. Both defences have played well, and Brighton haven’t conceded at home in their last three games.
On 82 minutes it looks as though West Ham have found the chance they needed as Benrahma’s curling cross finds the head of Dawson, but the defender’s decent touch is just a foot wide. Two minutes later, with West Ham committed forward, Danny Welbeck steals in from a Brighton break to chip the ball past Fabianski. It’s not going to be the season it has promised to be in the last few weeks.
But wait… Benrahma hits a beauty just as the minutes seem to have drifted away, Coufal’s cross not having been effectively cleared. His first goal for the Hammers arrives at the perfect minute. There will be three additional minutes to play, but that isn’t enough to get the winner West Ham need. Brighton remain the bogey team that West Ham have yet again failed to pick clear of their blocked nostrils. We move on.
1 Lucasz Fabianski, 15 Craig Dawson, 3 Aaron Cresswell, 5 Vladimir Coufal, 21 Angelo Ogbonna, 41 Declan Rice (Captain), 28 Tomas Souček, 18 Pablo Fornals, 20 Jarrod Bowen, 11 Jesse Lingard, 30 Michail Antonio
Substitutes: 9 Saïd Benrahma
Scorer: Saïd Benrahma
