Defensive blunders are never too far away at West Ham United these days but, during Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion, Nuno Espirito Santo’s team took self-flagellation to a new, brutal level.
Max Kilman gifted Brighton an equaliser with a ridiculous sliding challenge on Yankuba Minteh inside the penalty area. Charlie Cresswell really cannot come soon enough, as West Ham hope to sign the Toulouse stopper next month.
Lucas Paqueta was let off the hook by a wasteful Danny Welbeck only a few minutes later. Brighton’s veteran striker drilled his first penalty into the corner but clipped the bar with his second.
The hosts would have a point handed to them on the hour mark, though, as Alphonse Areola flapped from a corner.
Points shared at the London Stadium ❌
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The ex-Real Madrid and PSG goalkeeper has been in ‘incredible’ form of late. Nuno Espirito Santo credited Areola for playing a massive role in West Ham United’s much-improved set-piece record following his return to the XI and the sidelining of Mads Hermansen.
This, though, was an uncharacteristic blunder from a man who has spent much of the last few weeks dominating dead-ball situations.
Nuno Espirito Santo frustrated as Alphonse Areola error costs West Ham United
Upon October’s 2-1 loss at Leeds United, the Hammers had conceded nine set-piece goals in nine Premier League matches. In the ten games since that Elland Road trip, though, Nuno’s team had conceded only one.
But as Areola failed to deal with an in-swinging Brighton corner, succeeding in punching the ball straight at the feet of a grateful Joel Veltman, this brought about an unwelcome return for that early-season Achilles heel.
“I am disappointed to concede from a set-piece,” Nuno told reporters at full-time. “Because, in that moment of the game, we had it.”
Areola would make amends to an extent though, making a couple of solid saves as Brighton piled on the pressure at the London Stadium.
“The fight was there from both teams. A very intense game with a lot of things happening,” Nuno added. “The players of both teams were really committed and fighting.
“In terms of performance ,the first-half was better, we had momentum and created problems. Second-half, we started well. But after we conceded, the final moments of the game were tough for us.
“When Brighton put [Kaoru] Mitoma on the left he caused problems. [Georginio] Rutter, too. It was about hanging in, trying to kill them on the counter-attack. Overall, it was a tough game for both teams.
“In the situation we are in it requires calmness in certain moments which is difficult to achieve, but the players managed well.”
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Nuno and Fabian Hurzeler both bemused by penalty calls
Ollie Scarles responded brilliantly after his late error against Fulham a few minutes earlier, though, on a night when Jarrod Bowen scored his third goal in five games and Paqueta provided a first Premier League assist for two years.
But while Fabian Hurzeler was left frustrated by the penalty awarded against Lewis Dunk for a contentious handball – Paqueta converted from the spot – Nuno was equally bemused by the spot-kick given earlier in the first-half after his Brazil international was adjudged to have hauled down the big Brighton defender.
“We have to look at what happened in our box,” Nuno said. “I was talking to the referee because there are a lot of circumstances happening this season that many times they don’t judge or whistle, so it gets confusing for the players. How excessive the contact can be or not.
“So many things happen in the box for referees to judge which is difficult. We arrive at a situation that it’s difficult for players to judge how far they can go.
“The referees must be clear, we had a meeting with PGMOL [Professional Game Match Officials Limited] at the start of the season. Now, at halfway, they should do it again to speak with the players [about what constitutes a penalty].”
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