Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi praised his side’s “very smart game” after they kept their first Premier League clean sheet of the season at West Ham.
Brighton’s streak of 24 league matches without conceding a goal came to an end for the first time, marking the conclusion of a club-record run.
Despite holding more possession and creating superior opportunities in the relatively dull opening game of 2024 at London Stadium, Brighton struggled to penetrate the resilient West Ham defense, which has now secured four consecutive clean sheets.
Manager De Zerbi noted that the media’s emphasis on Brighton’s defensive lapses was more of a media concern than his own, but he expressed contentment with his team’s defensive performance.
He told newsmen that: “I’m really pleased with the performance. We made a clean sheet so the journalists are happy because Brighton made a clean sheet.
“We played a great game. We deserved to win. We played a very smart game because the best quality of West Ham is counter-attack and we played with a focus – don’t concede a counter-attack.
“We created eight clear chances to score and I’m really pleased for the performance, the understanding of the play I want and demand.”
The Italian added it was “one of the best [games] in my time” as Brighton boss afterwards.
Securing a point elevates Brighton to the seventh position, surpassing Manchester United, while West Ham maintains a three-point lead in sixth place.
Keeper Areola earns Hammers a point
In a first half characterized by a lack of quality and opportunities, West Ham came closest to scoring when James Ward-Prowse’s powerful volley was thwarted by the legs of Jason Steele. Brighton’s Jack Hinshelwood and Pascal Gross faced point-blank saves from home keeper Alphonse Areola.
Despite Brighton’s continued dominance in possession after the break, Areola was called into action to deny Pervis Estupinan’s low shot on 55 minutes, and Joao Pedro’s attempt was directed straight at the French goalkeeper after a skillful run. Tomas Soucek missed a clear second-half chance for West Ham, poking wide from six yards, while Jakub Moder’s close-range effort sailed over for Brighton in the final minutes.
Brighton’s statistical superiority included 68% possession and 22 shots compared to West Ham’s six, prompting David Moyes to acknowledge his team’s somewhat fortunate capture of a point.
“We rode our luck a wee bit. It’s been a really good Christmas period, three wins and a draw. No complaints,” he told BBC Sport.
Post-Christmas stalemate at London Stadium