Brighton look to maintain their position at the top of the table as they host West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday. The Hammers will be seeking revenge against the Seagulls after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat on the South coast in March.
Preview (Brighton vs. West Ham)
Last season, Brighton achieved their highest-ever Premier League finish of sixth place. They made European competition for the first time in their history. Last weekend, the Seagulls defeated Wolves to win their first match since the departure of Moises Caicedo. A brilliant Kaoru Mitoma goal, two goals from Solly March, and a goal from the in-form left-back Pervis Estupinan all came in the first 55 minutes. Hwang Hee-chan pulled one back for the hosts in the final 30 minutes.
Only five teams have amassed more Premier League points than Brighton (55) since Roberto De Zerbi took over for Graham Potter in October, with the Seagulls winning 16 of their 34 games during this time. Brighton is now the 53rd different club to end a day at the top of the top-flight table. Brighton will soon learn their opponents for the Europa League group stage. First, they must focus on back-to-back home matches against West Ham and Newcastle United. The Seagulls have defeated in each of their previous three league meetings by an aggregate score of 9-1.
The Seagulls did indeed stroll to victories against the Hammers both at home and away last season. They will be optimistic of additional success on Saturday as they attempt to win their first three league games. The last time West Ham visited the American Express Community Stadium, five months ago, David Moyes was clinging to his position as manager as his team fought to avoid relegation. The Hammers managed to avoid danger, though, and went on to win the Europa Conference League. It was their first significant European championship in 58 years. Since then, they have had a rather promising start to the new season.
Team News
Attacker Julio Enciso of Brighton suffered a knee injury during training this week. The Paraguayan could be in for a protracted absence. The only other injury concern for the Seagulls is Jakub Moder’s knee. Both Adam Webster and Adam Lallana overcame setbacks to play against Wolves, and both are expected to play on Saturday. Webster is trying to keep his spot as center defender alongside captain Lewis Dunk.
Konstantinos Mavropanos, a new addition to West Ham who arrived from Stuttgart on Tuesday. He will miss Saturday’s game due to a minor injury. Thilo Kehrer is eligible for selection after overcoming a back issue that prevented him from playing against Chelsea. But with Nayef Aguerd suspended for the Hammers, Kurt Zouma is likely to start in central defense with either Kehrer or Angelo Ogbonna. Edson Alvarez, a versatile midfielder, could also play center-back and will be vying for his first Hammers start after replacing Ward-Prowse against Chelsea in the second half. Ward-Prowse, another summer acquisition, is expected to stay in midfield after making his complete debut last weekend.
Both sides will be optimistic going into Saturday’s game following excellent wins last weekend, but the high-flying hosts will be considered the favorites to earn all three points. When compared to a West Ham team that has conceded in seven of their last eight Premier League games, including outcomes from last season, Brighton actually seems like a serious threat moving forward and we can see them having more success in front of goal.
Brighton 3 – 1 West Ham
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