Relegation-threatened West Ham United travel to square off against Brighton & Hove Albion in search of their seventh league win of the season.
West Ham United are all set to lock horns with Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League. The Hammers are looking to survive relegation, whereas the Seagulls are pushing for a top-six finish. Both the clubs were involved in FA Cup fixtures mid-week and will have to turn their focus back to the English top flight.
Brighton & Hove Albion are currently eighth in the league with 35 points out of their 22 matches. They are well in contention for a top-six finish and can even push for a Champions League spot if things go in their favour. But, they will first have to get better of West Ham United on Saturday.
The Seagulls are ten points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur but have three games in hand. They have had a good season so far and can make it an even better one by qualifying for one of the European competitions. They have a tough task on hand, as they are ready to host the Hammers who are fighting to survive in the league.
Meanwhile, Brighton head into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 win in the FA Cup over Stoke City. They will be confident to get a positive result when they face David Moyes’s men. However, their recent results in the league have not been that great. The Seagulls have won just two out of their last five league fixtures.
On the other hand, West Ham United have had a disappointing season so far. They are fighting to avoid relegation, and things have not gone according to plan for David Moyes. The Hammers are currently 16th on the table, with 23 points out of their 24 matches.
West Ham are just two points clear of the drop zone, and a defeat against the Seagulls could prove difficult for them. They are heading into this encounter on the back of a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester United in the FA Cup
Meanwhile, their record in the Premier League of late has improved. They have accumulated eight points in their last five matches with two wins. They will hope to get another win against Brighton and keep themselves out of the relegation zone.
It is going to be an interesting battle between two teams who are desperate for a win for different reasons. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the fixture and tries to analyse the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Brighton & Hove Albion
Roberto De Zerbi will be without the services of Levi Colwill, Jakub Moder, and Adam Lallana when they host the West Ham. However, Pervis Estupinan is expected to make a return to the squad after missing their FA Cup fixture.
"This could have been one of my worst moments…." 😅👀
The skipper and @AdamWebster31 went through some of your favourite Dunky memories after his 400th Albion appearance! 💙
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) March 3, 2023
De Zerbi might still look to rest Estupinan and can start Tariq Lamptey ahead of him. Brighton are expected to make a few changes to their FA Cup XI. The manager is expected to start with the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Robert Sanchez will once again take charge of the goal. Adam Webster and Lewis Dunk will start as the centre-backs. Tariq Lamptey and Joel Veltman will be in support as they are set to start as the full-backs.
Ecuadorian international Moises Caicedo, who has been the talk of the town of late, will pair up with Pascal Gross in the centre of the park. The duo will be the double pivot in front of the defenders.
Alexis Mac Allister is likely to be the attacking midfielder behind the striker. He will be supported by Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma who start on either side of the World Cup winner. March and Mitoma will provide the width as well as look to supply balls to Evan Ferguson who will spearhead the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Veltman, Dunk, Webster, Estupinan; Caicedo, Gross; March, Mac Allister, Mitoma; Ferguson
West Ham United
David Moyes will be without the services of Lukasz Fabianski, who is likely to be out for a while due to eye socket and cheekbone fractures. Apart from Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal, Kurt Zouma, and Maxwel Cornet are all doubtful for the fixture against the Seagulls.
The gaffer is speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow's trip to Brighton ⚒️
— West Ham United (@WestHam) March 3, 2023
The Scottish manager is expected to go ahead with the tried and tested 4-3-3 formation. He is likely to make a few changes to the XI that started against Manchester United in the FA Cup. Alphonse Areola will once again start between the sticks in the absence of Fabianski.
Angelo Ogbonna and Nayef Aguerd will pair up in the centre of defence, while Ben Johnson and Emerson Palmieri will be the two full-backs for this away fixture. Skipper Declan Rice will star as the holding midfielder, and he will be supported by Lucas Paqueta and Tomas Soucek.
Danny Ings will start as the centre forward ahead of Michail Antonio. Meanwhile, Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen will play out wide on the flanks.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Areola; Johnson, Ogbonna, Aguerd, Emerson; Paqueta, Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Ings, Benrahma
Key Stats
- Brighton & Hove Albion have squared up against West Ham United on 58 occasions. The Seagulls have won 20 of those games while the Hammers have won 18 times.
- Brighton are on an 11-game unbeaten run against West Ham.
- West Ham United have failed to keep a clean sheet against Brighton & Hove Albion in their last 11 meetings.
- Brighton do not have that great a record at home in the ongoing season. Four out of their seven league defeats have come at the American Express Community Stadium.
- The Hammers have a terrible record away from home, managing only six points on the road and have scored only seven away goals.
Player to Watch
Alexis Mac Allister
The Argentine World Cup winner has been in great form of late. He has been an important player for the Seagulls, and they will once again rely on him to produce the goods. Meanwhile, his performances have attracted several top clubs.
The 24-year-old has five goals in the ongoing Premier League season. Mac Allister has been their star man and will be the creative link against the Hammers. He is expected to create chances and can even score when needed. Roberto De Zerbi will surely trust his midfielder to get the job done against a relegation-threatened outfit.
Prediction
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 West Ham United
West Ham United have struggled in the ongoing season, and it looks like, the struggle shall continue when they face Seagulls. David Moyes’s men do have the quality to outpower Brighton but have not been able to produce the goods when needed. Despite having a decent squad, things have not worked out well.
The Hammers have a terrible away record it is likely to get worst from here on. On the other hand, Roberto De Zerbi’s men have been doing wonders. They have managed to get the job in difficult situations. And, similar is expected from the home team. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the Seagulls.
