Brighton move within three points of Newcastle as they produced one of the most comprehensive football scores of the weekend in the Premier League. The result moves the Seagulls to 38 points, three points ahead of Newcastle in fifth place with a game in hand. Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring from the spot after Jarrod Bowen fouled Kaoru Mitoma, and Joel Veltman extended the lead after the break, turning home a Mac Allister header. Brighton’s persistent pressure and passing caused the Hammers to wilt, and Mitoma sneaked in at the back post to put the game out of reach. Even with a 3-0 lead, Brighton generated a flurry of chances, with replacement Facundo Buonanotte hitting the crossbar before Danny Welbeck scored the fourth with a superb strike from the edge of the box.
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi watched from the terraces with his feet up while serving a touchline ban for his red card in the tunnel against Fulham a fortnight ago. Meanwhile, West Ham supporters in the away end chanted “you don’t know what you’re doing” at manager David Moyes. His team failed to register a single shot on goal in the second half and finished only two points above the drop zone.
Brighton won the rematch at the London Stadium, with Mac Allister opening the scoring from the penalty spot. Jarrod Bowen foolishly got on the wrong side of Mitoma, who didn’t need a second invitation to hit the deck. Mac Allister, a World Cup winner, dispatched the penalty with aplomb. West Ham was content to give up possession and wait for chances on the counter, and Bowen should have leveled things up in 24 minutes when he was one-on-one with Jason Steele, but he was denied.
That would be the Londoners’ final genuine shot at goal, as Brighton cranked up their pressure even more after the break. The second goal came from a corner won following a brilliantly courageous passing sequence that began with goalie Steele playing out under pressure. Veltman chested the ball home from close range after Mac Allister flicked on from the set piece.
Brighton’s persistent attitude sets them apart from the crowd, and they pinned West Ham back for the rest of the game. Solly March was allowed too much space on the box’s edge, and he found Pascal Gross, who delivered a cross-come-shot into the mixer, which Mitoma converted. Welbeck scored a late fourth for Brighton, who finished with an expected goal total of 3.56, the third-highest total of any club this season.
“It was one of the worst results I’d seen since returning here. One of the most dreadful performances. We worked extremely hard in midweek to choose the strongest team in the FA Cup. It had a role today. That is the Premier League, and Brighton is an excellent squad,” West Ham boss David Moyes said. “They were faster and sharper all across the field and handed up a poor penalty goal. Afterward, we had two good chances but didn’t take them. When asked if he understood the fans’ anguish, he replied, “Totally after that performance. Yet I recall the fantastic days during the last two years, when we finished sixth in the Premier League, remained in Europe, and reached the semi-finals. There have been many excellent things done, so you hope that when things don’t go as planned, you will be supported. I’m confident they will.”
“We were defeated by a superior team. Brighton pushed us off the field and made life difficult for us. Yet, that was not an acceptable performance. On days like this, you have to apologize to the fans because you’ve let them down, as well as the club. I’m in pain. The men are in pain. We felt we’d turned a corner after winning 4-0 and then doing well in the cup. Yet, this is a setback.” West Ham captain Declan Rice said. “We couldn’t figure out their particular style of play. It was depressing to be out there. Trying to defend while they keep the ball. I received a yellow card and may have received another. I never want to feel that way on a football field.”
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