Daily WHUFC News - 4th February 2018

West Ham United fall to defeat in Brighton
WHUFC.com

West Ham United fell to a first league defeat of 2018 as Brighton and Hove
Albion bested the Irons 3-1. Glenn Murray put Brighton ahead after just
seven minutes but the game was level at half-time, thanks to a wonderful
goal from Mexican forward Chicharito - his sixth of the season for the
Hammers. However, two strikes from distance in the second half from Jose
Izquierdo and Pascal Gross respectively put the home team in control. West
Ham searched for a way back into the game with the introductions of Michail
Antonio and Jordan Hugill, but the away team fell for the first time in the
Premier League since before Christmas. The first meaningful chance of the
game wielded the first goal. A through-ball by Pascal Gross caught the
Hammers out, and Murray calmly put Brighton into the lead.
The striker had another chance, which Sam Byram blocked, before the West Ham
defender then saw a headed effort on goal blocked on the line by Brighton's
Shane Duffy.
West Ham were level on half an hour thanks to a terrific team move.
Chicharito started it, linking with Mark Noble and Joao Mario, before biding
his time in the box and striking a powerful finish into the roof of the net.
The leveller, and Chicharito's sixth league goal of the campaign, sparked
David Moyes's side into life, and Aaron Cresswell then saw two precise
crosses almost lead to goals for the Irons. Mario latched onto the first,
but his volley skewed wide, while Byram got too much on his header for the
second. Both sides had chances to take the lead in the closing moments of
the opening period, with Murray almost scoring again for Albion from close
range. A cagey opening to the second half was interrupted on 59 minutes when
Brighton restored their leaf. Izquierdo collected the ball after the Hammers
cleared a corner, and there was nothing that could be done about a curling
effort into the top corner from distance. The Irons struggled to get through
a resolute home team, with Cresswell testing the goalkeeper from out wide,
but the introduction of Michail Antonio - back from injury - and Jordan
Hugill for his West Ham debut showed intent of a fight-back. However,
Brighton went 3-1 ahead on 75 minutes as Gross received the ball in the
centre and sent a shot past Adrian and into the net from 20 yards.

West Ham United: Adrian; Byram (Hugill 80'), Collins, Rice (Antonio 66'),
Ogbonna, Zabaleta, Cresswell, Noble (c), Kouyate, Joao Mario, Chicharito
Subs not used: Hart, Reid, Fonte, Cullen, Haksabanovic
Goals scored: Chicharito 30'

Brighton & Hove Albion: Ryan; Schelotto, Duffy, Dunk (c), Bong; Knockaert
(March 77;), Stephens, Propper, Izquierdo, Gross (Kayal 83'), Murray (Ulloa
72')
Subs not used: Krul, Goldson, Bruno, Baldock
Goals scored: Murray 7', Izquierdo 59', Gross 75'

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Moyes: Our performance didn't merit a result
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's showing in the 3-1 defeat by Brighton and Hove Albion
didn't warrant winning any points, according to manager David Moyes. Despite
a sixth Premier League goal of the season from Chicharito the Hammers were
bettered by Albion in Saturday's match, as finishes from Glenn Murray, Jose
Izquierdo and Pascal Gross handed the Irons a first league defeat in 2018.
Although two of the goals from Brighton were of real quality, Moyes didn't
look to shy away from what he felt was a disappointing showing from his
players. "Today wasn't very good," Moyes honestly said. "Our performance
didn't merit a result. Brighton were the better team in the end. At
half-time we had fought our way back into the game but they scored a worldy
to make it 2-1, which made it very difficult. I think prior to that we
hadn't done enough anyway. "I'm disappointed with the defeat. We've been on
a really good run recently and we've picked up points and we've stuck at
games. But we were never really in the game today. Right from the start, I
never felt it. We gave the first one away, we gave the third one away and,
actually, I think we should have dealt with the ball from the corner before
the second goal."

The Hammers named the same starting XI from the side that drew 1-1 with
Crystal Palace in the week, and Moyes admits having to use the same players
in such a short space of time could have had an impact on his team's
performance. But the manager refused to lay any blame on the injuries his
squad is currently experiencing, saying there can't be any excuses for the
loss. "Maybe to have to play the same team again, could have been the case,"
Moyes said when asked if his selection had a role in the defeat. "We put out
a team on Tuesday and got a result, albeit it wasn't three points, but we
got a result from the game. It was always going to be tough today to do that
and I think it showed in the players today. "But Brighton played in midweek
as well, so there's no excuse from it, and we're not going to look for
excuses because we've got injured players. Every club has got injured
players and the quicker we get them back, it will help us."

Moyes believes the defeat on Saturday was ultimately down to his own side's
mistakes, and is now looking to the coming fixtures for the opportunity to
put things right and collect more points. "I've said for a while that any
given team on any day could beat each other in the bottom half of the
league, but on another day, there will be draws and points taken off of each
other. It's going to be tight. "We're all working hard together. We're in a
difficult position and we've got to make sure we stay away from the bottom
end."

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Antonio's mixed emotions on first-team return
WHUFC.com

Michail Antonio had mixed emotions as he returned to first-team duty in West
Ham United's 3-1 Premier League defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion. The No30
made his first appearance since 23 December after recovering from a groin
injury and missing Tuesday's draw with Crystal Palace for disciplinary
reasons, but was unable to prevent the Hammers slipping to defeat at the
Amex. But rather than being too downhearted, Antonio says he and his
teammates need to put the disappointment of Saturday's defeat aside and
regroup positively for next weekend's visit of Watford to London Stadium. "I
am buzzing to be back but disappointed about the result," he confirmed. "We
just need to move on from this, we were unbeaten in six, so we just need to
go on another run."

West Ham looked to be back in the game when Chicharito equalised Glenn
Murray's opener on the half-hour mark, but a below-par second half
performance, both before and after Antonio's introduction as a substitute at
2-1 down. "It was just one of those things where the second goal killed us.
Things were looking all right and we were dealing with things. "We had quite
a few opportunities in the first half, but in the second half, nothing much
really happened until their second goal and that picked up their confidence
and they managed to get another one. "We need to be professionals, forget
this and move onto the next one."

Antonio feels fit and ready to make his mark after nearly six weeks out of
action, but knows it will take a little more Premier League pitch-time
before he is at his peak. That said, the forward says he will be 100 per
cent ready to tackle the Hornets at London Stadium next weekend. "I've been
working hard on the training pitch and doing plenty of running, but
match-fitness is different and hopefully I can pick it up quite quickly and
go. "I think I did all right when I came on, but I didn't feel like I had
enough of the ball to make a difference to the final result. Hopefully I can
continue to progress."

Manager David Moyes has employed a 3-4-2-1 formation in recent weeks and
Antonio feels a position wide on one of the flanks is where he could be most
dangerous. "On the right or the left, I think, and I'd prefer to be on the
left, but it's just one of those things where I will come on, do what I can
and build up my confidence as I go and move on from there."

Antonio says the players are 100 per cent focused on their football at the
end of a week where off-pitch issues have made headlines, praising Moyes and
his staff for the high levels of coaching, preparation, treatment and
expertise on hand at Rush Green. "Those things are just part and parcel of
the game and we can't let that affect us. We just need to move on and keep
performing professionally. "Everything at the training ground is on point.
We have everything we possibly need so we've got to go out, play out
football and get results. "Every game is one we need to win and our next one
against Watford is no different. We'll go out there, give our all and
hopefully get the three points."

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Cresswell: We didn't react well after going behind
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WHUFC.com

Aaron Cresswell bemoaned the reaction of his West Ham United side when they
fell behind for the second time at Brighton and Hove Albion in Saturday's
3-1 defeat. Glenn Murray gave the Seagulls the lead early on at the Amex
Stadium but the Hammers bounced back when Chicharito scored a superb solo
effort, firing into the top corner after a clever run and dummy. But Chris
Hughton's men were back in front through Jose Izquierdo's stunner in the
second half and David Moyes' team failed to respond, instead conceding a
third which was cleverly arrowed into the bottom corner by Pascal Gross. And
it was the reaction to falling behind once again that left full-back
Cresswell so disappointed. He said: "We came here hoping to get something
and I don't think we were good over the whole 90 minutes. We had a couple of
spells in the game in the first half where we could have got something. "But
the lad [Izquierdo] put one in the top corner in the second half and to be
fair to him, it's a great finish, but we didn't react well to that. We
didn't look like scoring in the second half. "We had a bad start but we had
spells in the first half where we did well and had a few chances. We didn't
get the rub of the green though and second half we didn't react to the
set-backs we suffered."

The result leaves the Hammers three points above the drop-zone on Saturday
night - twelfth in the Premier League. Cresswell admitted, given the nature
of the bottom half of the division this season, every side is left looking
over their shoulder after a defeat. "It's really tight down there in the
Premier League - there are only a few points separating the bottom from the
top ten," he continued. "You win one and lose the next week, and you're
right back in it. We have got to keep looking forward to the next game,
though, and try to get the points in that. "We need to stick together and
pull in one direction now and go into every game and try to get maximum
points. We need to keep pushing up. "All season has been up and down and
when you lose, you think you're out of it. But we have to focus on each
games as it comes and try to push up for the rest of the season."

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