'Smart' Brighton earn first clean sheet of season

Roberto de Zerbi, the Brighton manager, lauded his team's "astute performance" after they held West Ham to a goalless draw and secured their first shutout of the Premier League campaign.

Brighton did not allow a goal for the first time in 24 league matches, which broke their previous record.

During the start of 2024 for both teams at London Stadium, Brighton was able to maintain more control of the ball and create more opportunities to score, although the overall game was not very exciting.

However, they were unsuccessful in penetrating the West Ham defense, which has managed to maintain four successive clean sheets.

De Zerbi mentioned that the media is paying more attention to Brighton's inability to prevent their opponents from scoring than he is. However, he still expressed contentment with his defensive team.

In an interview with BBC Sport, he expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance. He emphasized that they managed to keep a clean sheet, which is good news for the journalists reporting on the match, especially since Brighton also kept a clean sheet.

We had an outstanding performance during the game. Our victory was well-deserved. Our strategy was very clever since West Ham's strongest attribute is counter-attacking. We were completely focused on avoiding this and played accordingly.

"We had eight good opportunities to score and I am very happy with how we played and executed the style of play that I expect from the team."

Brighton's one point gain has positioned them in seventh place, surpassing Manchester United. Meanwhile, West Ham is currently sitting in sixth place, three points ahead of Brighton.

"A Point Earned By Areola's Performance For The Hammers"

During the initial half, the quality and opportunities for scoring were meager. However, West Ham had a chance to take the lead when Jason Steele saved James Ward-Prowse's forceful volley with his legs.

In Brighton's game, their players Jack Hinshelwood and Pascal Gross tried to score, but the home team's goalkeeper Alphonse Areola made some great saves up close and prevented them from scoring.

After the halftime break, Brighton still had control of the ball. Areola had to quickly respond to Pervis Estupinan's ground-level shot at 55 minutes. Joao Pedro made a quick run and shot straight to Areola.

Tomas Soucek was unable to capitalize on West Ham's best opportunity in the second half as he poked the ball wide from six yards out. Jakub Moder had a chance to score for Brighton in the last few minutes of the game but he missed the mark when he slashed the ball over from close range.

During the match between Brighton and West Ham, Brighton had control of the ball for 68% of the time and made 22 shot attempts while West Ham only made six. As a result, David Moyes, the coach of West Ham, stated that his team was a bit lucky to tie the game.

"We were fortunate to have a bit of good fortune. It's been a great stretch over the Christmas season with three victories and one tie. We have absolutely no grievances," he shared with BBC Sport.

London Stadium Stuck In Post-Christmas Limbo

Even though it marked the beginning of the 2024 match season for both teams, it also served as the ultimate Premier League game of the busy holiday period. This may have contributed to the slow pace and scarcity of chances.

West Ham was without Lucas Paqueta, who was injured, and they also showed evidence that Mohammed Kudus would be greatly missed while he participates in the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana.

There have been rumors circulating that Vladimir Coufal is dissatisfied with his contract and wants to leave London Stadium in January. As a result, he was not included in the squad for the recent match.

Due to the adverse effects of Storm Henk, both teams were unable to show enough vigor to secure a victory. Instead, they are hopeful for a more thrilling year ahead.

Both teams are still in the running for a spot in Europe, and there's a possibility they might face off in the Europa League later on. They earned direct entry into the final 16 after winning their groups.

The game between West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion has concluded, resulting in a scoreless tie of 0-0.

The conclusion of the second half has occurred, resulting in a tie between West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion, with neither team scoring any points.

The try made by Jack Hinshelwood from Brighton and Hove Albion, in which he headed the ball from the center area towards the goal, was blocked by the opposing team's goalkeeper, who caught the ball in the upper left side of the net. Pervis Estupiñán, from the same team, had previously sent a cross to assist Hinshelwood.

The shot aimed by Pascal Groß from outside the box while using his left foot was obstructed by the opposing team. Jack Hinshelwood played a role in assisting Groß during this action.

The wait is over. They are prepared to proceed.

The game between Brighton and Hove Albion has experienced a delay.

Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion) committed a foul.

Angelo Ogbonna, who plays for West Ham United, has been awarded a free kick in the defensive half of the pitch.

The effort was blocked by the goalkeeper. Adam Lallana, representing Brighton and Hove Albion, took a shot with his right foot from a distance and the goalkeeper managed to save it in the lower left corner. Pascal Groß provided the assist for the attempt.

The goal attempt by Jakub Moder from Brighton and Hove Albion was missed. He took a right-footed shot from the box's center, but unfortunately, it went a little too high.

The effort has been rejected. Pascal Groß, who plays for Brighton and Hove Albion, attempted to score with his right foot from the middle of the penalty area, but the shot was successfully blocked by the opposing team. James Milner provided the assist with a crossing pass.

The wait is over. They are prepared to resume.

The match got held up because Ben Johnson from West Ham United got injured.

Evan Ferguson from Brighton and Hove Albion unfortunately missed his shot as he headed from the center of the box. His attempt went too far to the left, even though Pascal Groß kindly assisted with a cross.

Evan Ferguson, who plays for Brighton and Hove Albion, took a shot using his right foot from the middle of the box but unfortunately, it was stopped by an opponent. Adam Lallana helped him to set up the shot.

Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton and Hove Albion) earns a set-piece opportunity on the left flank.

Divin Mubama from West Ham United committed a foul.

The try was stopped. Adam Lallana of Brighton and Hove Albion took a shot with his right foot from the center of the box, but it was saved in the middle of the goal. Jakub Moder gave him an assist during the attempt.

Pascal Groß from the Brighton and Hove Albion soccer team just missed a header from the middle of the field. The ball was almost close enough to score, but ended up going to the left instead. James Milner helped with a cross to set up the attempt.

In the game between Brighton and Hove Albion, there was a substitution made. Adam Lallana came on to replace Facundo Buonanotte.

section: Rewritten section: Most outstanding player of the game

On average, the number is 7.45

"Brighton & Hove Albion - The Football Team"

Player Name: João Pedro Squad Number: 9 This article is about the footballer João Pedro, who wears the number 9 jersey.

In this blog post, we're going to talk about van Hecke, who wears the jersey number 29 for his team. He's a talented player who is known for his skills on the field. With his ability to read the game and make strategic moves, he's become a valuable asset to his team. Fans of the sport love watching him play and seeing what he'll do next. We can't wait to see what van Hecke will accomplish in the future.