OPINION
If there is one player that Brighton should have feared on Friday night when they faced West Ham United, it would have been striker Marko Arnautovic.
His recent performances have earned him a number of plaudits, and that does not come as a surprise given that he is the Hammers’ main talisman.
However, the Seagulls did not look concerned in the slightest by the Austrian forward, as he never really got himself into the game.
Every ball that was fed to him, he managed to scuff it or not make the most of it – which is not like him in the slightest.
Some would argue that this is because Brighton’s defence were able to keep him quiet – whilst this is true, he must be performing a whole lot better.
The Irons were expected to come out hitting the ground running in this fixture – after all, they were on a good run, and Brighton were yet to secure their second win of the season.
They ended up losing 1-0 thanks to a Glenn Murray strike – but it should have been a much tighter contest if Arnautovic had his scoring boots on.
Yes, Manuel Pellegrini should not be relying on the attacker to deliver the goods, but Arnautovic’s outing has definitely demonstrated that he is not invincible from the drop.
West Ham have Lucas Perez or Michail Antonio to call upon if necessary – and based on last night, the first team figure really risks losing his place up front to one of these players.
Wasting chance after chance is simply not good enough for a player of Arnautovic’s experience, and who knows, it may have been a completely different story at the Amex if he actually looked like he was trying.
It is a shame, as the Hammers were just beginning to enter their stride – and the only person they have to blame is their hitman for his gutless display.