West Ham were able to salvage a point from their tense encounter with Brighton, with Marko Arnautovic bringing the Hammers level by scoring two goals in the span of two minutes.
Dale Stephens netted first in the second half, bagging his first ever Premier League goal. Shortly after, Shane Duffy sent Brighton into a 2-0 lead, who looked to be heading towards a second consecutive victory. However, Arnautovic stepped up around ten minutes later to level the scores and save West Ham from the jaws of defeat.
West Ham’s poor defending punished
It was surprising to see West Ham sign so many reinforcements during the summer; the addition of Fabianski, Balbuena, and Issa Diop in particular looked to be the cure for the Hammer’s defensive shortcomings. Months later, Pellegrini’s West Ham is still struggling to maintain clean sheets, and the Irons’ back line continues to look far too delicate.
Pellegrini admitted after the match that their efforts to subdue Brighton’s attacks from set pieces were pathetic. He also mentioned that they knew beforehand that one of Brighton’s strengths was set pieces, so the question is, why were West Ham so ill-prepared?
It’s an excellent question and one both Pellegrini and his players will be pondering as it was that defensive fragility that cost them points in this match as well as in their last match at Turf Moor.
Brighton show improvements away from home
Brighton have not been all that impressive away from home, but this match more than any other away match showed that Brighton deserve to retain their place in the Premier League. Their mastery of set pieces was on display in this match and the goals by Stephens and Duffy were in no way mistakes; on the contrary, Hughton has probably rehearsed these plays with his team countless times.
To add, Brighton remained in the match even when the tides turned against them. After Arnautovic’s brace, West Ham carried all the momentum, with the atmosphere in the London Stadium giving life to the Hammers. Nevertheless, Brighton would maintain the draw and finish the match having secured a vital point away from home.
It may be easy to criticise Brighton for giving up their hard-fought lead, however perspective must be used when measuring this accomplishment. The draw was a step forward for Brighton, and although the Seagulls will regret not keeping their lead intact, Hughton will be happy to see his team’s development.
West Ham plagued by injuries
Fortune has not favoured West Ham in recent weeks as the Hammers’ squad has been severely depleted by injuries. Balbuena’s injury has likely played a part in West Ham’s woeful defending in recent matches and his replacement, Ogbonna, has not looked very convincing in the role of centre back. Chicharito, who is just beginning to find form, has also been sidelined, leaving the likes of an out-of-form Andy Carroll to partner with Arnautovic.
Squad depth is beginning to pose a problem, and although West Ham have signed plenty of players in recent seasons, few of these players have actually proved useful to the team. The players that have produced for the Irons continue to find themselves injured, and with a difficult schedule facing Pellegrini and his men, fatigue looks to be a very real problem for coming matches. It is crucial that Pellegrini manages the minutes of players like Arnautovic carefully while also working to get players like Javier Hernandez back in the squad as quickly as possible.
