OPINION
Brighton star Glen Murray remarked on the upcoming clash with West Ham and revealed that Marko Arnautovic had been pinpointed as his opponent’s biggest threat.
The 35-year-old, who earns £30,000-a-week (Source: Spotrac), shared that the 29-year-old Hammers forward was seen as the danger man that his side have to keep eye on in Friday’s clash, as they need to attempt to keep a lid on him.
“He’s a fantastic player and he’s shown that at West Ham,” Murray told The Argus.
“He almost carried the team at stages last year and he showed what a top quality player he is.
“He’s set off again in the same vein of form that he ended last season. He is the danger man and we’ve got to try to keep a lid on him.”
While Murray is spot-on to recognise that Arnautovic could tear The Seagulls apart and ensure his team take all three points from their travels on Friday night, it plays into the Hammers’ hands.
Last season, particularly in the second-half of the campaign, all the Hammers’ opponents really needed to do to mute the club’s attacking threat is mark Arnautovic out of the game as he was the club’s only real goal threat.
However that is not the case anymore and if The Seagulls focus all their efforts on stopping the Austrian attacker than the likes of Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko will have a field day as they will be left with space to flourish.
The two Hammers’ summer recruit has showcased in their last two outings what fabulous attacking prospects they are and both are capable of punishing Brighton if they foolishly don’t realise what a handful they are.
If Murray’s remarks are a reflection of the message being passed around the Brighton team, which they likely are, then it means the Hammers have the upper hand in Friday’s clash as Chris Hughton hasn’t made his side aware of all of the Hammers’ danger men.
Hopefully this is the case from a Hammers’ prospective as it will mean that Manuel Pellegrini’s side can achieve another positive result on Friday.
