MY ACCOUNT
West Ham were unfortunate to lose to Nottingham Forest last weekend although they did not make a cast-iron case for all three points either.
Whether they deserved it or not, defeat at the City Ground leaves the Hammers pointless as they embark on tricky run of Premier League fixtures.
Brighton will also be cursing their luck after battering Newcastle last Saturday without finding a breakthrough, but the level of performance was not a concern in that 0-0 stalemate.
While Seagulls supporters will rue a missed opportunity against the Magpies, those in attendance saw another hugely encouraging display that backed up their excellent 2-1 success at Old Trafford on the opening weekend.
If Graham Potter’s men can continue to show that quality throughout the campaign, their fans can start dreaming of usurping the Hammers and taking their place among the European challengers.
Team news
West Ham manager David Moyes finally has some defensive options available to him, with German international defender Thilo Kehrer signing from Paris Saint-Germain and experienced centre-back Angelo Ogbonna returning from a nine-month injury absence.
Both players featured in Thursday’s Europa Conference League qualifier against Viborg and both are likely to be in contention for a place in the squad against Brighton.
Fellow centre-back Nayef Aguerd remains at least a month away from making his West Ham debut and Craig Dawson is also likely to miss out this weekend as he nears a return from a thigh injury.
Potter also made a defensive addition to his squad in midweek with Brighton securing the signature of Villarreal left-back Pervis Estupinan.
The Ecuador international played in both legs of Villarreal’s Champions League semi-final tie against Liverpool last season and could come straight into Potters’ starting XI, replacing the departed Marc Cucurella.
Jakub Moder is the only Brighton player absent through injury, with the Polish international midfielder out until the new year with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
The stats
A 1-0 defeat for West Ham at Nottingham Forest far from tells the whole story, with the Hammers missing a penalty, having a goal disallowed, a shot cleared off the line and twice striking the woodwork.
They also controlled more possession, took more shots, won more corners and forged a higher expected goals rating than their hosts.
Despite it being ‘one of those days’, few Hammers fans came away thinking they deserved all three points, with Moyes’ men largely matched by a Forest side who were high on adrenaline but bedding in eight new signings to the starting XI.
Brighton head to east London having taken four points from two matches, with those results against Newcastle and Manchester United making it just one defeat in 11 Premier League outings for Potter’s men – and that came away at Manchester City.
The Seagulls have been particularly impressive on the road – putting aside the loss at Manchester City, they have won four and drawn one of their last five away games, beating Manchester United, Wolves, Tottenham and Arsenal.
They have also never lost to West Ham in the Premier League, winning four of their 10 meetings – including a 3-1 victory at the Amex Stadium last season – and drawing the other six.
Prediction
West Ham’s crisis at centre-back has started to ease with the return from injury of Ogbonna and the signing of versatile defender Kehrer, who can cover every position across the backline.
However, the Hammers’ Europa Conference League campaign now offers Moyes a different headache, with training and preparation time divided across two competitions and fatigue from Thursday night exertions impacting on domestic performances.
It may also be too soon to throw in either Kehrer or Ogbonna to the starting line-up given Kehrer’s lack of settling-in time and Ogbonna’s readiness to play twice in four days, so left-back Ben Johnson could again be called upon as an emergency centre-back.
A lack of preparation time and defensive stability is a concern when facing a well-drilled, confident Brighton outfit and the psychological advantage is also with the Seagulls given their contrasting results this season.
Those factors give the visitors the edge and this weekend’s trip to the London Stadium presents Brighton with a great chance to make it 11 Premier League meetings without defeat to the Hammers.
