Brighton appeared to be playing an entirely different sport altogether as the Seagulls beat, bruised and batter West Ham in a 4-0 victory at Amex Stadium on Saturday.
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The victory sends Brighton (38 points - 8th place) to within one point of 6th-place Liverpool and 7th-place Fulham (with one and two games in hand, respectively) as Roberto De Zerbi’s side chases European qualification while playing some of the most sumptuous, swash-buckling football the Premier League has seen.
West Ham (23 points), meanwhile, remain 16th in the Premier League table only due to the fact that Leeds (22 points - 17th place) were also beaten on Saturday. Two points is all that separates David Moyes’ side from the relegation zone, with 18th-place Everton still to play on Sunday.
Brighton broke the deadlock in the 18th minute after Kaoru Mitoma weaved his way inside the penalty area and cut across Jarod Bowen, enticing just enough contact to go to ground and draw the whistle. Alexis Mac Allister stepped to the spot and lashed the ball past Alphonse Areola, who went the right way but but still had no chance against such power and precision.
West Ham gifted goal no. 2 with an incredibly poor display of set-piece defending on 51 minutes. Solly March’s corner kick came in to the near post, headed on by Mac Allister to an unmarked Joel Veltman at the back post, all by his lonesome inside the six-yard box. Veltman chested the bouncing ball home to double the lead.
WATCH BRIGHTON vs WEST HAM FULL MATCH REPLAY
Seagulls dominate Hammers in every way
Expected goals: 3.51-0.38
Passes completed: 633 (91%)-259 (78%)
Shots (on target): 20 (7)-3 (0)
You won’t see many (any?) more lopsided games than this one all season. Down 1-0 at halftime, West Ham “chased” an equalizer to the tune of 0.0 xG (on zero shots) in the second half.
Putrid. Abject. Relegation form.
Stars of the show
What’s next?
Brighton will be back in action when they visit Leeds next Saturday (10 am ET), while West Ham will head to Cyprus to face AEK Larnaca in the Europa Conference League round of 16 (first leg) on Thursday before hosting Aston Villa in east London on Sunday (10 am ET).
How to watch Brighton vs West Ham live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 10 am ET, Saturday Online: Stream via Peacock Premium
Brighton team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Adam Lallana (thigh), Levi Colwill (undisclosed), Jakub Moder (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Billy Gilmour (undisclosed)
COME ON ALBION! 💙 Here's our team to take on @WestHam today. 📝
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) March 4, 2023
📲 https://t.co/S3j1TIedJv // #BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/FZQKmmrYrF
West Ham team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Lukasz Fabianski (face) | QUESTIONABLE: Maxwel Cornet (calf), Vladimir Coufal (heel), Kurt Zouma (thigh)
Your starting XI to face the Seagulls 👊 pic.twitter.com/QuaVZXvvA0
— West Ham United (@WestHam) March 4, 2023