West Ham 1-1 Brighton (21 Dec, 2024) Game Analysis - ESPN (UK)
Revised: December 21, 2024, at 6:46 PM
On December 21, in London, as reported by Reuters -
West Ham United's midfielder Mohammed Kudus scored with a header in the second half, securing a 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion in a fairly uneventful Premier League match on Saturday.
As a result, the Hammers sit in 14th place with 20 points after 17 matches, whereas Brighton occupies the ninth position with 25 points. This outcome seems appropriate for two sides struggling to find their form, with Brighton having not won in their last five league matches and West Ham claiming just one victory in their last five.
Mats Wieffer scored his first Premier League goal in the 51st minute, putting Brighton in the lead. The opportunity came when goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski struggled to deal with a challenge from Lewis Dunk, allowing Dunk's header to land perfectly for Wieffer, who took full advantage and found the net with his very first touch.
Before Brighton could truly rejoice at the London Stadium, there was an extensive VAR review to determine if there was an offside or a foul.
West Ham, facing increasing scrutiny on their manager Julen Lopetegui, has now allowed in 74 goals this calendar year — their highest total in the top division since 1967 when they conceded 85.
Brighton's advantage lasted only seven minutes, as their goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen made a great save by deflecting Jarrod Bowen's shot. However, a fast-moving Kudus arrived just in time to nod the ball in for his third goal of the season.
Kudus has gained attention for his unique goal celebrations, often seen sitting on a stool. However, on Saturday, he switched things up by bringing out a wooden stool shaped like an elephant. After that, he took a seat next to his teammate, Crysencio Summerville.
"It's a unique stool, one that comes from Ghana," Kudus explained. "I figured it would be great to give you a glimpse of my background."
What started as a mostly uneventful match concluded with excitement, as both teams missed some great opportunities.
In a courageous act on defense, West Ham's full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka leapt to head the ball away from what seemed like a guaranteed goal for Tariq Lamptey right at the end. The two players crashed into each other while airborne, and Wan-Bissaka was on the ground for several minutes, clutching his shoulder.
Fabianski also pulled off a few critical saves near the end of the match to thwart Brighton substitutes Yasin Ayari and Julio Enciso. Meanwhile, Kaoru Mitoma surprisingly failed to convert what seemed like a simple tap-in for the visitors, as his shot hit the post instead.
"Ultimately, we have to take responsibility for not leaving the field as winners," stated Brighton's manager, Fabian Hurzeler.
While there were some encouraging aspects, we still need to see outcomes in order to break free from this cycle of negative experiences. Achieving results is essential in business if we aim to reach our goals.
"We need to restore our elevated standards. We can improve our defense. It's important that we continue to push forward and have faith in the process." (Reported by Lori Ewing in Manchester, England; Edited by Pritha Sarkar and Ken Ferris)
