West Ham United suffered their third consecutive Premier League defeat in the new season, putting David Moyes in a difficult position.
If the midweek win over Viborg in Europe was any reprise to West Ham United’s troubled start to the season, Brighton handed David Moyes a reality check. Alexis Mac Allister and Leandro Trossard scored the goals in a terrific victory for Graham Potter’s Brighton, leaving the Hammers rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table.
Moyes’ side were expected to build on the momentum from the midweek win and put it into action at the weekend. Instead, Brighton proved to be the better side in the contest, and Potter’s men deserved the three points. Thilo Kehrer’s inexperience and know-how of the Premier League was evident as he made a clumsy challenge to trip Danny Welbeck inside the box. The resulting penalty was converted by Mac Allister, to give Brighton the lead.
West Ham had to rely on a few half-chances to build momentum but were eventually thrown out of the contest following Brighton’s second goal scored by Trossard. After a brilliant team move, the Seagulls moved the ball swiftly and put it in the Belgian’s path, who finished from close range to double their lead.
The defeat will undoubtedly have been morale-sapping for the Hammers, who also find themselves at the bottom of the table. Their three losses keep them in 20th place. Here’s how the West Ham players rated after their terrible defeat against Brighton at the London Stadium.
West Ham’s last five Premier League games:
Man City ?
Brighton ❌
Man City ❌
Nottingham Forest ❌
Brighton ❌Their worst run of form since February of 2020. ? pic.twitter.com/6pAOMAspDm
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) August 21, 2022
Lukasz Fabianski – 3.5/10
Fabianski could not be blamed for the Brighton goals, but for his part, he was nervous in his area and failed to command it well. There were a few iffy catches, while his handling and distribution were entirely off. Such performances could offer Alphonse Areola a massive hope to usurp the No. 1 spot.
Vladimir Coufal – 4/10
Coufal was once again unable to have an impact going forward from the right-back position, as has been the case in his recent performances. The right-back lost the ball 12 times in this clash, which is not something Moyes would want from his senior players.
Kurt Zouma – 3.5/10
The French centre-back was terrible on Sunday afternoon, as his communication with his centre-back partner was non-existent. It was one of his worst performances in a Hammers shirt.
Thilo Kehrer – 3/10
Two things are a defender’s nightmare; losing duels and conceding penalties, and Kehrer did both on his Premier League debut. The centre-back’s passing from the back was also a concern. He certainly needs to understand the rhythm and intensity of Premier League football, as he endured a debut to forget.
Aaron Cresswell – 2/10
Cresswell dropped a stinker of a game, as the left-back lost all his duels and was ineffective in his display. Moyes may have to consider replacing him for the following games, and he has options such as Maxwell Cornet to rely upon.
Tomas Soucek – 4/10
Soucek offered no control of the midfield area and offered nothing different that vitalised the attack. He was a physical presence, but it felt irrelevant as Brighton moved with ease with their quick style.
Declan Rice – 6/10
Rice was still decent, as has been the case in the previous two defeats. The England international tried his best to get things going, but a lack of support from his fellow teammates and a lack of efficiency cost the Hammers the points.
Jarrod Bowen – 6.5/10
Bowen was still reasonable compared to his attacking teammates, as he looked like the player to carry the biggest threat to the Brighton defence. He saw plenty of the ball, making the opposition nervous with his attacking forays.
Pablo Fornals – 4/10
Fornals was playing an advanced role behind the front three but could not influence the game in any manner. He will now have to worry about Manuel Lanzini taking over if displays like these continue.
Said Benrahma – 4/10
West Ham’s left-hand side has looked terrible since the start of the season, and Benrahma is responsible for that in equal measure. If Cornet cannot replace Cresswell at left-back, the Ivorian should be considered in place of Benrahma.
Michail Antonio – 3/10
Moyes went with his tried and tested formula, opting to start with Antonio over Gianluca Scamacca and it did not work for him. The Italian was placed on the bench despite coming on the back of a goalscoring game in midweek. However, looking at Antonio’s performances, he could come into the side next weekend.
Substitutes
Ben Johnson – 5/10
Johnson replaced the ineffective Coufal and did make a slight difference on the right.
Manuel Lanzini – 3.5/10
Lanzini was brought in to add some creative spark but could not provide what was required.
Maxwel Cornet – 4/10
In his cameo, Cornet did have some flashy movements, but could not spark a turnaround.
Gianluca Scamacca – 3/10
Scamacca could not get a goal back, as the Hammers suffered a terrible loss at home.
