Paul Ince suggested that a draw was a fair result between West Ham and Brighton based on the evidence of play.
The retired midfielder shared that he thinks both managers would have been happy with a 1-1 draw come the final whistle, as both sides had chances to win the match.
Ince highlighted West Ham winger Michail Antonio failing to score from close range before the end of the game, as he claimed the 29-year-old should have scored and won his side the match.
“All over 1-1, will both managers be happy with a draw? Probably on the evidence of play, yes,” said Ince on BT Sport Score (BT Sport 1, 16:50, Saturday, August 17th).
“Brighton had some good chances, but Antonio should have won it in the last second of the game.”
OPINION
Ince is a bit harsh to single out Antonio for his miss, as there were several good chances in the game went begging. It’s also harsh when you consider that Ince believes a draw was a fair result, as there was no need to put the spotlight on the 29-year-old. However, that said, Antonio probably should have done better with his last-gasp effort. The 29-year-old was more than capable of heading the ball into the back of the net from close range, but with minutes left on the clock, he headed the ball softly straight into the hands of Brighton keeper Mat Ryan. Antonio’s end product is usually what lets him down, as he more often than not gets in good positions, and hopefully, he’ll be more ruthless in front of goal in his upcoming matches. The Hammers winger managed six goals in 33 league outings last season, and considering he averaged two shots per game in that campaign, as per WhoScored, it’s clear he should be aiming to rack up more goals this season.
