West Ham 0-3 Brighton Player Ratings: Great Gross

Murray brace helped Seagulls to historic win – theguardian.com

A Glenn Murray brace helped Brighton & Hove Albion to a historic 3-0 win at West Ham United, who are struggling to perform in line with their pre-season expectations. Here’s our Player Ratings from the game.

West Ham United

Joe Hart – saved well from Murray near the end of both halves, before conceding moments later in both cases. His footing might have been slightly better for the second goal. 4

Pablo Zabaleta – one good ball to the back post for Chicharito and had the raw hunger to press for the ball, but his lack of pace often forces him to pass sideways. Zabaleta has started every league game this season for the Hammers, who are odds-against to lose at Palace next week – find the best odds with bookmaker apps in the UK. 4
Jose Fonte – turned his back on the second goal and didn’t win a single aerial duel all evening. Looks a shadow of the player that helped Portugal win Euro 2016. 2
Winston Reid – an ill-judged header gave the ball away for a chance late in the first half, in an evening that exposed his defensive frailties. Is he staying in this team as captain on merit, or history? 3
Arthur Masuaku – added pace and width down the left and was a player West Ham should have used more often. Arguably the one man in that team who can leave the game with a shred of credit. 7

Cheikhou Kouyate – pushed forward in the latter stages of the first half to exert his physicality and help Chicharito occupy the centre-backs, but was taken off at the break. 5
Pedro Obiang – some nice passes, including one for Chicharito that saw him just caught offside. His lack of defensive diligence though would suggest he’s not entirely at home as a holding midfielder. 3

Michail Antonio – showed his pace against Bong in flashes but a lot of the time he drifted out of the game. A different performance to the one against Huddersfield last month, in which he was a constant threat. 4
Manuel Lanzini – dictated play from deeper areas from expected. This allowed him to control play in the middle third but it also meant he wasn’t always in the final third to play the killer passes he is capable of. 5
Marko Arnautovic – his lack of movement on the ball might raise question marks over his desire. One or two good balls into the box at the start of the second half but far more was expected. 2

Javier Hernandez – came closest to opening the scoring. He was once caught offside and forced the odd save, without ever looking like a potent force. Goalscorer and match odds can be found via bookmaker apps in the UK. 5

Andre Ayew (on 45) – in theory he was a more natural supporting striker than the auxiliary Kouyate, but in practice he failed to make an impact on the game. 4
Edimilson Fernandes (on 74) – it seems remarkable that he was the last substitute used, considering West Ham’s lack of intent in that second half. 5

Brighton & Hove Albion

Maty Ryan – a surprisingly comfortable night for the Aussie stopper. He will be happy with a third clean sheet in his last seven league games, but he only had to handle two shots on target to get it. 6

Bruno – either wasn’t targeted often enough one-on-one, or was positioned so close to the centre-backs he didn’t expose himself. Made some important clearances at his near post and didn’t look out of place at this level at 37. 7
Lewis Dunk – made some important last-ditch defensive headers and had the calmness to carry the ball out of defence when the right moments arose. 8
Shane Duffy – won headers in a more aggressive manner than Dunk, looking to cut them out before the ball entered the box. Didn’t look like a centre-back that had faced fitness issues in the preceding week. 9
Gaetan Bong – didn’t show any intent on the rare occasions on which he got into the opposing half, often electing to retain possession. Defended his box well and put in a strong block to deny Lanzini in the first half. 7

Anthony Knockaert – spent more time in his defensive third than he might have expected to in the Championship and sometimes had a tough time handling Masuaku. The fact a player of his technical capabilities always stuck to the task though says a lot about his attitude and Hughton’s management skills. A nice reverse pass late on to set up a one-on-one chance for Murray. 6
Dale Stephens – made four interceptions in a disciplined performance. The Seagulls rarely lost with the ex-Charlton midfielder present in the Championship and now, he has grabbed his top flight opportunity. 7
Davy Propper – assisted the second goal and won three tackles. Ideally, him and Stephens would spend more time pressing further up the pitch, but given how well Brighton restricted their opponents’ chances, it is difficult to argue with their approach. 7
Jose Izquierdo – not a constant influence his goal just before the break, a right-footed strike from outside the box into the far right-hand corner, was superbly taken. It altered the nature of the game and made the second half a little easier for his side. 7

Pascal Gross – worked hard to close the gaps between Murray and the midfield out of possession, making it hard for West Ham to play through the lines, not dissimilarly to Okazaki. He also has the ability to come up with pinpoint passes and remarkably accurate deliveries from set pieces. 9
Glenn Murray – distant from the game for long periods, especially the latter stages of the first half, when he suffered from a lack of support and didn’t have the pace to carry attacks. To still managed to score twice in those circumstances and force a good save from Hart says a lot about his ability in front of goal. 7

Solly March (on 70) – one or two bright runs, though his crossing wasn’t always what it could have been.
Izzy Brown (on 76) – retained possession well in his short time on the pitch.
Ezequiel Schelotto (on 84) – kept things simple when he slotted into the right-back position.