West Ham faced a significant setback during their bout with Brighton as both Mo Kudus and Nayef Aguerd, set to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations, were ruled out due to FIFA regulations. This unwelcome turn of events, which left the Hammers without two key players, sparked ire from West Ham boss David Moyes and raised questions about fairness and scheduling discrepancies.

The clash with Brighton stood as the only fixture in the latest Premier League matchweek where the 43 top-flight players heading to the Ivory Coast were disallowed from participating, following the match being rescheduled for live broadcasting by Sky Sports. Meanwhile, Liverpool connected with Mohamed Salah, who delivered a stellar performance, including two goals, in their victory over Newcastle before departing for the tournament.

Expressing his exasperation, Moyes highlighted the disparity in treatment, stating, “For some reason we weren’t allowed to play our players when Salah played for Liverpool last night… Could we not have played on the first, so our African players would be permitted to play as well? I feel that’s something which isn’t correct. I just think why could we have our African players the same as everybody else.”

Despite a challenging fixture and the absence of key players, Moyes commended the team’s resilience amidst fatigue, yet expressed the desire for improved performance in subsequent matches.

Contrastingly, Mohamed Salah, after a dazzling display, shared his aspirations to see Liverpool succeed in his absence, highlighting the potential of the remaining squad members to maintain the team’s momentum.

These events have sparked discussions regarding fairness and equity within scheduling and highlight the challenges faced by teams in adjusting their lineups amidst substantial player absenteeism during crucial stages of the season.