European Football: West Ham and Brighton play out goalless draw in Premier League, AC Milan reach Italian Cup quarters

Defensive-minded West Ham held off late pressure from Brighton to settle for a 0-0 draw that extended its Premier League unbeaten run to four games on Tuesday. One point was enough for Brighton to climb over Manchester United into seventh place, while the Hammers stayed in sixth. Both teams were missing starters through injury, illness and suspension. West Ham was also without forward Mohammed Kudus, who was called up by Ghana for the Africa Cup of Nations. West Ham hasn’t allowed a goal in its past four league matches — three of which were victories. Brighton substitute Jakub Moder blazed a shot over the bar from close range in the 87th minute at London Stadium. The visitors threatened again minutes later but goalkeeper Alphonse Areola stretched to save Adam Lallana’s shot from distance. Just before the hour mark, Brighton’s João Pedro beat several defenders but shot straight at Areola. Tomas Soucek then missed on the other end, shooting wide in the 61st minute after Saïd Benrahma’s cross fell to him. Evan Ferguson provided a spark off the bench for Brighton. The 19-year-old Ireland striker shot just wide shortly after replacing Danny Welbeck. Milner milestone Brighton midfielder James Milner made his 632nd top-flight appearance to tie Ryan Giggs for second-most in the Premier League. Milner could pass all-time leader Gareth Barry next season. “It’s quite a big number. It’s taken a long time,” Milner said before the game. “I think it’s a nice thing but it’s a big game for us tonight. We want to start the year with a win.” The 37-year-old Milner is in his first season at Brighton after eight years with Liverpool. He debuted with Leeds in the 2002-03 season at age 16. Jovic continues scoring streak as AC Milan beats Cagliari  Luka Jovic scored two goals to help AC Milan beat Cagliari 4-1 in the Italian Cup on Tuesday. Milan has won the Italian Cup five times but it last lifted the trophy in 2003 and hasn’t reached the final since 2018. The Rossoneri will face either Atalanta or Sassuolo in the quarterfinals. Milan coach Stefano Pioli was under pressure after a poor run that had seen his team eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage. The Rossoneri also had a lengthy injury list and rested a number of star players — starting with four teenagers — but hadn’t lost to Cagliari at San Siro since 1997. Jovic opened the scoring in the 29th minute following a delightful assist from Théo Hernandez and the duo combined again shortly before halftime. The two goals took Jovic’s tally to five in his past six matches. It took the Serbia forward until December to score his first goal for Milan after joining from Fiorentina at the start of the season.

Quality performance. 🔝 pic.twitter.com/8ZlR9AC2HX

— Luka Jović (@TeamJovic) January 3, 2024

Teenager Chaka Traorè extended Milan’s lead early in the second half, with his third Rossoneri goal in his first start for the team. Rafael Leão capped a great night for Milan in stoppage time, shortly after Paolo Azzi netted a consolation for Cagliari. Greenwood sent off as Getafe lose Mason Greenwood was accused of insulting a referee in the Spanish league on Tuesday, becoming one of three Getafe players sent off in a 2-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano. The referee said in his post-match report that Greenwood insulted him in the 50th minute with an expletive in English, something that the British player and the Spanish club denied. “He doesn’t speak Spanish very well, he told me that he was saying something else,” Getafe coach José Bordalás said in his post-match interview. “He was frustrated because the referee was not calling any fouls on him, but he never offended anyone. It was just a comment that he made.” Referee Jorge Figueroa Vázquez also said in his report that, after being sent off, Greenwood made a gesture pointing to his head and expressing his disagreement with the decision. Greenwood is playing with Getafe on a loan from Manchester United, which he left at the end of last season following a criminal investigation into a possible attempted rape that was closed by prosecutors. Getafe also lost defender Damián Suárez for allegedly insulting the assistant referee moments after he was substituted in the 70th. The hosts had been playing a man down from the 40th after forward Juanmi Latasa was sent off with a second yellow card. Sergio Camello scored in first-half stoppage time and shortly after halftime to help Rayo end an eight-match winless streak in the Spanish league. The result left Rayo in 11th place. Getafe stayed eighth. Goalkeeper sent off Real Sociedad overcome a red card to its goalkeeper in the first half to salvage a 1-1 home draw against Alaves. Martín Zubimendi scored with a shot from inside the area six minutes into stoppage time to secure the draw against the fellow Basque Country team. The result extended a 25-match winless streak on the road for Alaves, which also conceded in stoppage time while playing with an extra man in a 1-0 loss to leader Real Madrid at home in the previous round. Luiz Rioja converted a 76th-minute penalty kick to give the visitors the lead. Zubimendi got the late equalizer after reaching a loose ball inside the area and sending a low shot into the net. Sociedad played a man down from the 36th after a blunder by goalkeeper Álex Remiro. He left his area to intercept a long cross but misjudged the bounce of the ball, having to use his hand to keep it from going over his head and reaching an Alaves player in front of the open net. Sociedad coach Imanol Alguacil had to replace forward André Silva with reserve goalkeeper Unai Marrero. Forward Takefusa Kubo had nearly evened the match moments earlier with a shot from outside the area that hit the crossbar. The hosts were awarded a penalty in the 88th but the call was reversed after video review. The draw moved Alaves to 15th place, four points from the relegation zone. Sociedad stayed sixth, three points from fifth-place Athletic Bilbao. Sociedad was coming off three consecutive scoreless draws in all competitions, while Alaves had lost three in a row in the Spanish league. It hadn’t scored in four straight league matches. Alaves forward Giuliano Simeone, son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, entered the match in the 70th to make his first appearance since breaking his leg in a friendly in the offseason. “It’s bittersweet taste,” Simeone said. “I’m happy to be playing again, but it’s a shame that we let the win escape by conceding that goal in the end.” Midtable Valencia defeated 13th-place Villarreal 3-1 at home with a pair of penalty kicks converted by Pepelu. On Wednesday, Real Madrid hosts Mallorca, while second-place Girona hosts third-place Atletico. With AP inputs