The Media Review: West Ham United
All good things must come to an end, and on Saturday it was Albion’s unbeaten Premier League run against West Ham United and our brief leadership of the table.
John Brewin offered the clearest analysis of how 3-1 home defeat unfolded in The Observer.
“West Ham top the Premier League, their dreadful record against Brighton reaching a spectacular end, and a victory that must register as a tactical triumph for David Moyes,” he wrote. “His old-style pragmatism picked apart the new-wave counter-press that has made Roberto De Zerbi the name to drop among football intellectual circles.
“Brighton dominated possession but had no answer to the quality of West Ham’s finishing on the counter, though Alphonse Areola also produced a series of excellent late saves.
“Evan Ferguson was partnered in attack by Danny Welbeck and flanked by two wingers in what often resembled an old-style 4-2-4 formation, De Zerbi again ripping up the rule books, though this time the Italian’s free-form experimentalism ended up sounding an atonal note.
“‘We can’t forget that we lost three important players,’ said De Zerbi, highlighting his club’s summer of sales [although Levi Colwill’s return to Chelsea following the end of his loan was not a sale]. ‘We can lose because we are Brighton.’”
“West Ham’s stolid determination was such that in the 30th minute they had completed just 13 passes to Brighton’s 220. ‘They are unique,’ said Moyes. ‘The manager here has done incredible things with the team and we had to find a way to stop incredible things happening.’
“Pascal Gross’s low finish reduced the deficit and gave rise to faint hopes of a comeback. Brighton again dominated possession but as 90 minutes loomed, Joël Veltman’s volley was well saved by Areola who next made an even better stop from Ferguson. ‘He didn’t half pull off a couple of worldy saves,’ said Moyes. ‘The best player on the pitch,’ lamented De Zerbi.”
There was general agreement about the excellence of the French goalkeeper’s performance. In The Sunday Telegraph, Ivan Speck wrote that “Brighton started the day on top of the Premier League but visitors West Ham finished it in pole position.
“Goals by James Ward-Prowse, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio gave them clear daylight. Yet, after Pascal Gross had reduced Brighton’s arrears, it needed two brilliant saves from Alphonse Areola and a header off his own line by substitute Danny Ings to make sure they maintained their supremacy.
“Areola had a curious game. Anointed by his manager as his first choice in the Premier League after playing a central role in the club’s successful Europa Conference League campaign last season, the West Ham goalkeeper appeared uneasy under the high ball.
“He escaped punishment after dropping one first-half cross, then redeemed himself two minutes into the second half with a brilliant reaction stop to parry away Ferguson’s downward header. That save proved pivotal when West Ham produced a counter- attack of stunning simplicity and quality to make it 2-0.
By Paul Hazlewood
Alphonse Areola gathers a cross at the second attempt.
“Gross demonstrated to his Brighton team-mates what they should have been doing by trying his luck with a low shot that found the bottom corner. Areola then produced two stunning reaction saves to beat away a Joel Veltman volley and a rising Ferguson shot, before Ings headed away a Lewis Dunk effort at the death.”
In The Sunday Mirror, Hector Nunns wrote that “the impressive Areola was finally beaten by Gross’s angled drive from 20 yards, before brilliantly denying Ferguson – and there were late claims for handball against Vladimir Coufal from Estupinan’s cross.”
Jack Rosser of The Sun on Sunday noted that “Brighton threw everything forward to try and created a nervy finish but Areola made a string of superb late stops to just keep the Seagulls at bay.”
Dominic King of The Mail on Sunday, making a rare foray south, wrote that “De Zerbi – who raised eyebrows pre-match by playing Bart Verbruggen in goal, rather than Jason Steele – got a response from his team and had Evan Ferguson shown more composure in the 46th minute when picked out by Karou Mitoma, the pendulum may have swung the other way.
“A strike from Pascal Gross in the 84th minute threatened to make things tense but for all Brighton’s late pressure, there was no way past Areola, who was as stubborn as his team.”
In The Sunday Times, Gary Jacob wrote that “only several brilliant stops by Alphonse Areola, the West Ham goalkeeper, prevented Brighton & Hove Albion from reducing the deficit further after Pascal Gross scored in the 81st minute.
“Evan Ferguson, the Brighton striker, had earlier produced a brilliant turn away from Angelo Ogbonna but his low shot was closer than he wanted to Areola, who saved to his left. Gilmour drilled wide and then had a low shot saved by Areola.
“Ferguson should have levelled a minute after the restart with a free header but Areola made an excellent save.”
Let’s hope that we are not reading similar tales of the heroics of a Newcastle United goalkeeper this time next week...
