Premier League: Mat Ryan’s season-first ensures huge win over Hammers

[Hogg]

GLENN Murray’s 99th goal for Brighton helped them beat West Ham 1-0 and rise above the visitors in the English Premier League standings.

Brighton’s first clean sheet of the season put them up to 12th. West Ham dropped to 15th, and could yet go lower by the end of the weekend after falling into old habits.

West Ham came to the coast without having lost its last four games, including beating Manchester United 3-1 last weekend, but it again resembled an unsettled side struggling for an identity.

The Hammers were outplayed in the first half, and didn’t begin to threaten until more than an hour passed. But free kicks and headers regularly flew over the crossbar.

Brighton substitute Jurgen Locadia was unlucky near the end when his goal, from a close-range rebound, was ruled out for the most marginal of offside calls.

“As the game went on we rode our luck but sometimes you need that,” Brighton manager, Chris Hughton told Sky Sports.

“It’s a first clean sheet of the season for us and you need a goalscorer. It’s a massive win for us.”

West Ham striker Marko Arnautovic, spurned a great chance to snatch a late draw for the visitors when he shot over the bar from 5m.

It summed up a frustrating evening for Arnautovic, who misfired high and wide several times and was denied space all evening.

West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini was disappointed.

“Frustrated because I think we do the things to win the game. We had three clear chances to score and didn’t,” he told the BBC.

“They had one chance in the first half and then defended. We deserved more.”