West Ham prepare to host Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday as two sides hovering over the relegation zone look to seal a win and help them move to a safer spot on the Premier League table.
West Ham v Brighton Preview
After a bright start to the David Moyes era after a 4-0 win over AFC Bournemouth, things haven't been as great ever since. The Hammers have, since that superb victory, lost 3 league games and drawn 1, with the stalemate coming against the Scottish manager's former side Everton. Sitting in 17th place on the table, West Ham have lost a whopping 13 games this season, the joint-second lowest only behind Norwich City and have just 23 points to show for.
Brighton, on the other hand, have won just 2 of their last 10 Premier League fixtures, with the two victories coming against Arsenal and the Cherries. They've lost 4 games and went on to share the spoils in the remaining 4. Graham Potter has his hands full at the moment and needs to find a way to get the Seagulls' season back on track after a torrid run in the league which sees them placed 15th, with just 2 points more than their upcoming opponents.
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West Ham v Brighton Head to Head
- West Ham have failed to beat Brighton even once in their five meetings in the Premier League era, losing 3 and drawing the remaining 2. But, in the 14 times that the Hammers have hosted the Seagulls in all competitions, Brighton have won just 2, losing 9 and drawing 2.
- Brighton have scored 5 goals in their last 5 league games, conceding 6 and managing 1 clean sheet. Their opponents, meanwhile, come into this fixture having scored 6, conceding 8 and managing the same number of clean sheets in their last 5 league games.
- 3 of the 5 games played between the 2 sides have seen over 2.5 goals scored, with there being no goalless draw played between the sides in the Premier League.
- Brighton have the second-worst away record in the current campaign, having lost a staggering 8 games out of their 12 played on the road. Only Norwich City have a worse record away from home. Coincidentally, West Ham also happen to have the second-worst home record in the league, having lost 7 games, winning 3 and drawing 2 out of their 12 games at the London Stadium.
West Ham v Brighton Prediction
The Hammers at the moment appear to be in all sorts of trouble with regard to their survival in the top flight, and even the return of Moyes at the helm hasn't seen a change in their fortunes. With star winger Felipe Anderson and Michail Antonio expected to miss the match, West Ham could be in for a difficult test at home.
Brighton, meanwhile, have been impressive in their performances so far despite what their results might suggest. It could be safe to say that they are in a false position as they have had some impressive results this season, having beaten the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur so far.
With a relatively shorter list of absentees for this game in comparison to that of their troubled hosts, Potter's charges could take another step towards survival with a win against West Ham.
West Ham v Brighton Betting Tips
Considering the record the two sides have had in the recent past, Brighton could be expected to give West Ham a run for their money on their own turf. West Ham's returns in front of goal haven't looked promising and have found goals hard to come by.
Tip 1 - Result: Brighton & Hove Albion
Tip 2 - Over/Under 2.5 goals scored: Under 2.5
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No
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