No goal but Evan Ferguson showcases what he's all about in rout of Hammers

His 83 minutes on the pitch showcased his qualities even on a day when chances did not fall his way. He gave the West Ham defenders a relentless examination

Sun, 05 Mar, 2023 - 22:45

Nick Szczepanik

So, Evan Ferguson, what’s better: scoring a goal but not winning, or winning but not scoring? The mischievous grin on the 18-year-old’s face gave it away: the answer would be the wrong one, but a true striker’s reply. “I think scoring a goal!”

The Brighton and Ireland forward quickly corrected himself and added: “No, obviously the win today and three points,” and in truth, the confident young man standing in the Amex Stadium players’ tunnel on Saturday did not appear at all displeased that he had not scored against West Ham United.

In fact, his 83 minutes on the pitch showcased his qualities even on a day when chances did not fall his way. He gave the West Ham defenders a relentless examination, taking them on or pressing them to distraction, at other times dropping deep to take part in the Seagulls’ intricate passing patterns. He left with his side 3-0 ahead to applause from the Brighton crowd who see in the teenager an answer to the one question mark against their squad – the central striker position.

Until Ferguson was given his chance in December, the former Manchester United, Arsenal and England striker Danny Welbeck was the only choice. Some might be intimidated at competing for a place with an experienced international, but in Brighton’s supportive environment, it was significant that as Welbeck joined in the celebrations after Brighton’s third goal against West Ham, he sought out Ferguson, whose contribution, a flicked pass, was no more than a pre-pre-assist.

“It’s more encouragement,” Ferguson said. “We have a good relationship, me and Danny, it’s not like I’m playing one game and he won’t talk to me for a week. I learn off him in training every day, just little bits. Like if I do something that wasn’t right, he’s giving me different options so it’s nice. He’s a good person to have up there to get advice from.”

Forward play in a Roberto De Zerbi team requires much more than getting your head to crosses. “Yes, when we have the ball in different positions, I know what areas I have to be in and I have to cover, so it’s just trying to get myself into the right positions to do the right things. I used to play in midfield as a kid so I sort of know little bits from that although obviously it’s a big difference [in level].”

Such a big difference that Ferguson chuckled at his own presumption in comparing Dublin’s St Kevin’s Boys club with the Premier League, where he is supplied by a World Cup winner in Alexis Mac Allister and rising international stars such as Japan’s Kaoru Mitoma and Ecuador’s Moises Caicedo.

“At the minute they are all in form so I don’t think there’s anyone better you could be playing up there with,” he said. “Every game in the Premier League is a learning experience because all the defenders are different.”

De Zerbi last week described Ferguson as a ‘unique talent’ and the Italian has been careful in nurturing that talent and at pains to emphasise Ferguson’s youth, which his physical presence can make it easy to forget. However, he has shown no reluctance in starting Ferguson in key games and against big opponents like Liverpool as Brighton chase a place in Europe.

“He’s the first manager to give me the opportunity to play and I’d like to thank him for that,” Ferguson said. “The way he plays suits me, so yes, it’s good. We have our targets but hopefully we’re trying to go as far as we can.”

Ferguson’s next logical step is the regular place in the Ireland side that many assume is a given. But he has had no such guarantees from Stephen Kenny ahead of the friendly against Latvia and the Euro 2024 qualifier against France at the end of the month.

“No, I haven’t heard that from him,” Ferguson said. “It’s still three weeks away so we’ll just have to wait and see, hopefully get the call-up into the camp and see what happens.”

Brighton & Hove Albion (4-2-3-1): Steele 7; Lamptey (Veltman 16, 7), Webster 7, Dunk 8, Estupinan 7 (Welbeck 76); Gross 8, Caicedo 8; March 6 (Buonanotte 76), Mac Allister 7, Mitoma 7 (Enciso 83); Ferguson 7 (Sarmiento 83).

West Ham United (4-3-3): Areola 7; Johnson 3, Ogbonna 5 (Zouma 69, 5), Aguerd 5, Emerson 5; Soucek 5 (Downes 75), Rice 5, Paqueta 4 (Lanzini 75); Bowen 5, Ings 4, Benrahma 5 (Fornals ht, 5).

Booked: Soucek, Bowen, Rice.

Referee: S Attwell 7.

Man of the match: Caicedo.