OPINION
West Ham United managed to rescue themselves a point against Brighton following a brace from Marko Arnautovic on Wednesday, and Manuel Pellegrini has no doubt learned a few things about the team following the result.
Two quick goals from the Seagulls – courtesy of Dale Stephens and Shane Duffy – put the visitors 2-0 ahead within minutes, but two moments of magic from Arnautovic rescued the Hammers from the jaws of defeat at the London Stadium.
The result now means that the Irons sit in tenth place in the Premier League, ten points above the relegation zone.
Here, Forever West Ham has rounded up the three things learned in the draw v Brighton.
West Ham have really missed Arnautovic
The Hammers would likely have been subjected to a defeat here if it were not for the brilliance of Marko Arnautovic. His performance on Wednesday summed up just how much the Irons had missed him recently, in particular his goals. Lucas Perez has not been able to deliver the goods in the Austrian’s absence, something which has been highlighted with the team’s recent results. Pellegrini will no doubt be counting his lucky stars that Arnautovic has returned, as it means that West Ham will be back on track.
Carroll experiment did not work
Playing Andy Carroll up front with Arnautovic is an experiment that clearly did not work on Wednesday. He barely had a touch in the Brighton box before he was substituted at half-time due to the Seagulls being able to deal with any threat he posed so well. Pellegrini has undoubtedly learnt his lesson following this display – as playing the two strikers together has clearly backfired on him. He better stick with Arnautovic up front on his own, as that tactic has worked out for the team in the past.
Obiang must be dropped
Pedro Obiang did not have his best game against Brighton, and he has now made it extremely easy for Pellegrini in terms of selection. It was difficult to see why he was started in the place of Mark Noble, but he soon proved to his manager that he definitely made the wrong decision. The 6ft 1in [Transfermarkt] player needs to be dropped as soon as possible, as his inclusion in the midfield is clearly not working for anyone.
