Chris Hughton’s team have their first away win of the season, and Slaven Bilic has a big problem. Brighton were well-drilled and fully committed, while the hosts looked the opposite: disjointed, flat and error-prone. The final whistle brings vigorous boos from the home fans who have remained. In a new feature that I might not bother ever repeating, here are the player ratings:
90 min: “This game has my predictor this week off to an hilariously wrong start,” chirps JR in Illinois. “It doesn’t affect my fantasy team, though. Unfortunately that is already banjaxed.” Mine, by contrast, is in rude health, and I am now grateful that Creswell hasn’t played here. Best decision Bilic has made.
86 min: There is absolutely no sign of West Ham even pretending they believe in a comeback. They lob in crosses as if going through the motions. Duffy and Dunk could not have wished for more obliging hosts.
84 min: Zabaleta floats over a decent cross - a rarity from the hosts tonight - but Ayew failed to guide his header on target. It was as if he was taken by surprise by the accuracy of the delivery.
82 min: Damningly for Bilic, this West Ham team does not look managed. There’s no obvious method or spirit. Chris Hughton, meanwhile, can be proud of how his side have played.
78 min: The Sky cameras are showing home fans streaming out of the ground. And according to Jamie Carragher there is also a bit of “trouble” in the stands. It’s not coming from the away end, where Brighton fans are signing and dancing.
74 min: Lanzini gives the ball away to Knockaert in midfield and then tries and fails to bring the Frenchman down. Knockaert carries on his run and tees up Murray with a cute reverse pass. Hart rushes out to block the striker’s shot.
71 min: The only good thing about this performance by West Ham is that it has been soporific enough to put most of their fans to sleep. Otherwise there’d have been a torrent of boos by now rather than the smattering we’ve heard so far. With 19 minutes to go, it’s safe to say the disjointed home side will get zero points from this match.
68 min: A strong run by Antonio takes him from the right-hand touchline into the box. But Bong eventually catches up with him and pokes the ball out for a corner. Duffy clears the out-swinger.
65 min: Another freekick to West Ham, in a similar position to the one Lanzini hit a moment ago. This time his shot takes a nick off the wall and curls just wide!
59 min: Brighton fans are amusing themselves by chanting olé as their team knocks the ball around very easily. The home fans’ grumbles, meanwhile, are turning to boos.
55 min: Arnautovic loses possession deep in his own territory and then commits a dumb foul to concede a freekick. So far today he has been utterly lamentable, in fairness.
53 min: “Matty Ryan had a slow start in the EPL but seems to be picking up the pace now.: how’s he playing so far?” asks Matthew Stephens. The reason I’ve barely mentioned him so far is that he’s had very little to do. I can recall one straight-forward save from the first half. He hasn’t even had to come for any crosses because they’re either been terrible or headed away by Duffy or Dunk.
50 min: It’s still all too predictable from West Ham. There’s no sign of the sort of imagination and precision that will be required to get past the Duffy/Dunk-led defence.
48 min: Zabaleta crosses from the right. but Duffy clears with a diving header. He or Dunk have repelled everything so far. When they have needed to, that is: mostly West Ham’s crossing has been dire, especially from the left (Masuaku and Arnautovic).
47 min: Ayew’s introduction has meant a switch to 4-4-2 for West Ham, as the Ghanaian has gone up top to partner Hernandez. But Brighton have had most of the ball so far in this half.
“Is it just me or does Hart seem to get a ‘full hand’ on shots that still end up going in more often than any other keeper?” asks Chris Nemeh. “Maybe I’m being harsh since that one wasn’t quite a full hand, but still. Tell me if I’m an idiot.” Hart make a lot of mistakes, if that’s what you mean. But you might still be an idiot.
It’s been a textbook away performance so far by Brighton, who are on course to pick up maximum points on the road for the first time this season. West Ham need to improve massively to salvage something from this game because there’s no way that Brighton are going to start defending as flimsily as the hosts have done so far. West Ham have mostly been adrift, good only in rare spurts. They play like a team who are making things up as they go along. That’s not a good look for Bilic. The goalkeeper should have done much better.
Brighton’s Jose Izquierdo scores their second goal. Photograph: STRINGER/Reuters
Hart makes a fine save to deny Murray after Brighton opened West Ham up easily on the counter-attack. Moments later Brighton attack again, this time through Izquierdo, who jinks past Obiang near the left-hand corner of the box and then curls a super shot into the far corner! Hart, at full-stretch, got a hand to it but failed to push it wide enough.
