Brighton & Hove Albion will host West Ham United at the Amex Stadium on Sunday, with both teams eager to return to winning ways.
Brighton & Hove Albion are coming into this game vs West Ham United on the back of a narrow defeat to Aston Villa after a thrilling match between the two sides.
The Seagulls were unbeaten in four matches in all competitions prior to that. Fabian Hurzeler’s men are undoubtedly the better team, and they will be favourites to grind out a positive result here. It will be interesting to see if they can inflict another defeat on West Ham.
Meanwhile, the Hammers are 18th in the Premier League table with just three wins from 14 league matches. They are without a win in their last three Premier League matches after a brief upturn in form and fortunes. The visitors have a dreadful record against Brighton, and they have failed to win 15 of their last 16 matches against the Seagulls.
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here for very different reasons. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Brighton & Hove Albion
Fabian Hurzeler will be without Adam Webster and Solly March due to their long-term knee issues. Stefanos Tzimas is also unavailable because of a knee complaint. Meanwhile, James Milner (knock) and Kaoru Mitoma (ankle) remain doubtful, and Georginio Rutter faces a late fitness test to determine his availability.
Brighton & Hove Albion are likely to shape up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation vs West Ham United, with Bart Verbruggen in goal. Mats Wieffer and Ferdi Kadioglu will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit West Ham on the break. Jan Paul van Hecke and Lewis Dunk will form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Yasin Ayari and Carlos Baleba will look to add defensive cover and drive to the side. Georginio Rutter will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to help create opportunities in the final third.
Meanwhile, Diego Gomez and Yankuba Minteh will start on the flanks. They will look to add pace and unpredictability to the Brighton attack. Finally, Danny Welbeck will lead the line for Brighton & Hove Albion vs West Ham United on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Wieffer, Dunk, van Hecke, Kadioglu; Ayari, Baleba; Minteh, Rutter, Gomez; Welbeck
West Ham United
George Earthy is recovering from a hamstring injury, and Crysencio Summerville is doubtful with a knock. Meanwhile, Lukasz Fabianski (lower back) and Oliver Scarles (shoulder) remain in the treatment room, while Igor Julio cannot face his parent club.
West Ham United will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Brighton & Hove Albion, with Alphonse Areola in goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Max Kilman will pair up at the heart of the defence alongside Jean-Clair Todibo.
As for the midfield unit, Tomas Soucek will start alongside Soungoutou Magassa in the double pivot. They will look to add defensive cover and physicality to the midfield. Mateus Fernandes will start as the attacking midfielder here, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his teammates.
Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta will add flair and goals from the flanks, with the latter set to return after a short suspension. Finally, Callum Wilson will spearhead the West Ham United attack vs Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Todibo, Diouf; Magassa, Soucek; Bowen, Mateus Fernandes, Paqueta; Wilson
Key Stats
- Brighton & Hove Albion are undefeated in 15 of their last 16 matches against West Ham United in all competitions.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have scored at least two goals in six of their last seven matches in the Premier League.
- Brighton & Hove Albion are unbeaten in four of their last five matches in all competitions.
- 17 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- West Ham United are unbeaten in four of the last five matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Yankuba Minteh
The Gambian attacker is our key player to watch out for. Minteh has done quite well in the Premier League this season, and he could cause all sorts of problems for the West Ham United defence.
The Hammers have been quite poor defensively, and they will struggle to contain the attack. He will add pace, flair, and unpredictability going forward. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net for himself as well. Brighton will need him to step up and unlock the West Ham defence here.
Prediction
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 West Ham United
The home team have a better squad and they are in better form. They should be able to grind out a narrow victory here. The Hammers are likely to put up a fight here, but they are lacking in form and confidence.
West Ham have a dreadful record against Brighton, and that is likely to continue here. Both teams will put up a fight and they are likely to get on the score sheet. However, Brighton have enough quality in the final third to edge this one. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Fabian Hurzeler and his charges.
