ARNAUTOVIC AT THE DOUBLE AS HAMMERS COME FROM BEHIND TO DRAW WITH BRIGHTON

 

Marko Arnautovic’s second half double lifted London Stadium for the first time in 2019 as West Ham came back to draw 2-2 against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Under the floodlights at London Stadium, the Hammers fell victim to quick second half goals from the visiting Seagulls from Dale Stephens and Lewis Dunk, before Arnautovic’s two-minute double brought his side level.

After an attritional first half, the hosts were unlucky not to take all three points, Declan Rice firing into the side netting. 

Andy Carroll started for the first time in a calendar year, while newly-signed Samir Nasri made the bench having joined the Hammers early in the new year.

Brighton pressing early, a couple of early corners resulting in a free header from Shane Duffy that was comfortably held by Lukasz Fabianski.

The Hammers have garnered a reputation for being slow starters of late, but grew into the game during the first half, Felipe Anderson and Aaron Cresswell combining nicely on a couple of occasions, but no little reward. Marko Arnautovic flashed the Hammers’ first effort on goal high and wide, his snapshot from outside the penalty area failing to trouble David Button.

Brighton did well at first to force Anderson and Arnautovic to drop deeper in order to see more of the ball, but the latter capitalised on a half chance, his first time effort from a loose clearing header could only find Button’s midriff. Arnautovic then went one better, his curling strike forcing the Brighton ‘keeper into a good save to his left.

There were loud claims for a penalty in the 38th minute after being bundled over by Lewis Dunk, but the referee remained unmoved.

The hosts began the second half brighter, moving the ball quickly and purposefully, before Anderson lifted London Stadium with a dazzling run, berating three players before striking narrowly wide.

All that pressure made Dale Stephens’ opener all the more more galling. The former Charlton midfielder pounced on a punched clearance from Fabianski, and his speculative strike flew through a crowded penalty area to deceive the Wet Ham goalkeeper.

Shane Duffy then doubled the Seagulls’ lead, somehow bundling home after the Hammers failed to clear a second Brighton corner.

The second goal prompted a decisive double change for the Hammers, with Michail Antonio and Mark Noble replacing Robert Snodgrass and Pedro Obiang respectively.

From there, the stage was set for Marko Arnautovic to steal the show. First, he rifled home from close range after a lovely ball from Noble after holding off a challenge from Lewis Dunk.

Minutes later Antonio turned provider for the Austrian, reaching the byline for the Hammers’ talisman to tuck home for his second. 

Antonio could have given West Ham the lead, too, havin dinked his way between two defenders before blazing his effort harmlessly wide. Declan Rice then came closest in the closing stages of the match, his shot on the turn flying into the side netting.