West Ham United FC vs Brighton & Hove Albion, Premier League 2022-2023, Today Match Prediction

West Ham United FC vs Brighton & Hove Albion Match Prediction & Analysis

There is no surprise at seeing Brighton currently in 8th place, considering how well they play their organised and attractive brand of football.

They were superb as they beat Manchester United on the opening day of the season and only had themselves to blame for missing the chances to clinch another victory against Newcastle.

Coming into this match unbeaten, you would back Graham Potter’s side to claim something here, too. They are now a team that no one looks forward to playing against and are very hard to beat.

The main surprise is seeing West Ham in 19th place, with zero points and no goals following their two defeats. The Hammers had a difficult pre-season with plenty of injuries. You would expect them to turn a corner soon.

It’ll be a tight game here.

TEAMS PREVIEW

West Ham United FC Preview

Reasons to be cheerful:

     Midweek European win should provide some confidence

     New signing Kehrer can add solidity at the back

Reasons to be fearful:

     Forward players need to kick into gear

     Poor record against Brighton

Surprisingly, West Ham haven’t been Brighton in 10 attempts since the latter secured promotion to the Premier League in 2017.

Brighton are a tricky side to play against, but West Ham must find their feet at some point if they are to get themselves out of this rut.

They made two positive steps this week, however. The first was signing Thilo Kehrer from PSG, who can slot straight in at the back. He’ll hope to steady the line in defence.

Secondly, they claimed their first win of the season, albeit in a qualifier for the Europa Conference League. Still, it’ll provide them with some confidence ahead of this weekend’s fixture.

They desperately need something from this game, otherwise heads may start to drop.

Star Man – Gianluca Scamacca

West Ham’s big money signing scored his first goal in the midweek European win. He is yet to start in the league, but should do this weekend following West Ham’s problems in front of goal.

Brighton & Hove Albion Preview

Reasons to be cheerful

     Positive record over West Ham

     Playing great football right now

Reasons to be fearful

     Will fear a West Ham recovery

     Poor finishing cost them three points against Newcastle

Graham Potter can do no wrong in the view of many football fans, having taken Brighton from the Championship to a respectable Premier League club with very little money spent in the transfer market.

They have only made two first-team signings so far this summer, although neither has featured as of yet. It is Potter’s existing squad that continues to perform so well, performing to his high standards in every game.

If Brighton are to achieve a higher finish than 9th last season, their highest ever, they will need to show greater consistency, particularly when it comes to scoring goals.

They wasted too many chances against Newcastle last weekend, and should have ended up winning the game comfortably.

They are likely to have chances again this weekend, but unless they take them they won’t earn anything from the game.

Star Man – Danny Welbeck

Welbeck has never been the most prolific striker, but his pace can always stretch teams. He’ll have an important job here, occupying West Ham’s defenders while their midfielders work their magic.