WEARY WEST HAM and burned-out Brighton served up a lifeless goalless draw to dent both sidesโ top-five ambitions.
Two makeshift teams were missing 16 first-team players between them through injury, illness or suspension, and in West Hamโs case also due to the Africa Cup of Nations which has cost them the services of in-form forward Mohammed Kudus for a month.
Given that it was West Hamโs ninth game in a month, and Brightonโs eighth, managers David Moyes and Roberto De Zerbi would probably have shaken hands on a draw before kick-off and gone to watch the darts instead.
As it was, 60,000 people had to battle a storm to get to the London Stadium before sitting through a match played at a snailโs pace.
It was Brightonโs first goalless draw in 48 Premier League games, their last coming against Nottingham Forest in October 2022.
There was at least something to celebrate for midfielder James Milner, whose 632nd Premier League appearance moved him level with former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs for second on the all-time list.
During an opening half an hour of new year lethargy, West Ham had a half-hearted penalty appeal waved away when Edson Alvarez tripped over Billy Gilmourโs leg. Emerson Palmieri then scuffed a shot wide.
James Ward-Prowse saw a volley well saved by Jason Steele before Jarrod Bowenโs cross was headed over the crossbar by Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Said Benrahma, left out of Algeriaโs AFCON squad, was handed a rare chance by Moyes in the absence of Kudus and Lucas Paqueta and the winger made one mazy run inside from the left wing only to curl his shot wide.
West Ham were marginally the more adventurous team but Brighton probably had the best two chances of the first half.
First Ben Johnson was booked for a foul on Facundo Buonanotte 25 yards out and from Pascal Grossโ cross, Alphonse Areola palmed away a far-post Danny Welbeck header and then saved the rebound from Jack Hinshelwood.
Gross then got in between West Hamโs centre-halves but planted his header from Milnerโs cross too close to Areola.
After the break Welbeckโs fierce shot forced a fine diving save from Areola with Milner, who turns 38 on Thursday, skying the rebound.
West Ham should have broken the deadlock on the hour when Benrahmaโs cross was deflected into the path of Tomas Soucek but the Czech midfielder stabbed his effort wide.
But Brighton finished stronger and Evan Ferguson, on as a substitute, almost had an immediate impact with a low drive which beat the dive of Areola but rolled inches past the far post.
Jakub Moder blazed over from close range and Areola made another decent save to deny Adam Lallana and preserve a point for the hosts.
Munster are looking good.!.
@Locojoe: They really are starting to look very good. Iโd expect a but win and five points and would fancy them to run Castres close in France.
I see Joey is trying out the new invisible skipping rope. They have it all down in Munster.
@DeShawn Jersey:
Carbery, โGee whizz Iโm going to be playing next to Conor Murrayโ
Murray, โHere we go againโ
Should be a pretty strong team picked today. Barring injury at 15 the only number Iโm not sure of is 12. He could go with scannell or blyendaal there with the other covering the bench. Looking forward to seeing carbery in the middle of Murray and Farrell. Also looking forward to seeing loughman and what he can do in a big game against a good side. Iโd expect a munster win by about 10 points I think.
@Jim Demps: Loughman is a good losehead he just wasnโt going to make it as a tighthead. He was right to leave, now with Cronin being injured he has a real chance to progress his career. Just hope he doesnโt end up going to the world cup with the US as that would rule him out long term for Munster.
@Jim Demps: Scannell starts. He might not be that highly rated, but in the last 3/4 years he has made that 12 jersey his own under successive coaches.
@Darren Byrne: I dont think loughman will be lining out for the states. He must be firmly on the radar of the Irish management for the future given that Healy, McGrath, kilcoyne and cronin are all in and around the same age and around the 30 mark now
@Jim Demps: guessing Blyendaal on bench to cover 12, Scannell to start( left foot), team kinda picks itself after that. Butterflies starting, can see Murray Carbery axis being what has been missing. Leinster have Jonnie, but Conor and Joey trump even him. 3 more sleeps.
Thereโs a Heineken cup or two in this young and developing squad.
@Paul OโConnor: naw, nobody is going to beat Leinster this side of the World Cup in France.
2nd row selection will be interesting in the absence of Jean Kleyn.
@retsnuM: Surely Holland comes in and Wycherley takes the bench spot, as he seems to have jumped OโShea in the pecking. In terms of locks we are a little light. DOC2 could cover but he is injured, maybe POM can cover in a crisis. Definitely an area we need more depth.
@Johnny 5: well there is a certain Tipperary man out of contract in Paris this summerโฆ
@Johnny 5: I agree re Holland and Wycherley but I seem to remember that OโShea looked good recently โ including in the heavy going in Zebre, I think. I really hope that he develops into Munsterโs Devin Toner โ heโs only an inch shorter that Dev, is still only 25 (26 next week) and has good players and coaches to learn from. Maybe uber-tall players take a bit longer to develop. As we know, 6-9 / 6-10 comfort blankets are very handy in the line-out for provinces and Ireland.
@Glenbower: I donโt doubt itโs possible and he has all the physical attibutes required, but he is back 2 years and looks like he is moving backwards in the pecking order. Itโs not like lock is very competitive spot for Munster at the moment. He is competing with Holland (33 and without the physical attibutes to be top level lock) and Wycherley (only 20), OโShea should really be pushing on and playing games if he is going to make it.
@Niall Collins: that would be great, but considering we couldnโt afford to keep him 2 years ago, and he has spent the last 2 years tearing up trees in Paris itโs hard to imagine him coming back. Plus the carrot of playing for Ireland at the RWC isnโt even guaranteed if he returned with the emergence of James Ryan and Beirne since he left
@retsnuM: Big Billy & Tadgh
Looking forward to this pairing. Suspect Cooney โ Carbery might make for a fine combination as well though.