There are rarely any “bad” fixtures in the Premier League but some games are definitely more enticing than the others. On matchday three of the league, Brighton vs West Ham United is set to be one such game.
Brighton have shown so far that their hot streak under Roberto De Zerbi last season was no fluke, sitting atop the table, scoring eight in two games.
West Ham, on the other hand, injected life into their campaign amid various issues by bullying Chelsea in a 3-1 win in the London Derby.
Both teams are unbeaten so far, and unexpectedly too. This promises to be an exciting affair where one unbeaten run will stop but ultimately, both teams will be very happy to have started the season this way.
WHEN & WHERE?
Where: Amex Stadium, Brighton.
When: Saturday, 26th August 2023.
Time: 5.30 PM BST
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Anthony Taylor.
Assistants: Gary Beswick & Adam Nunn.
Fourth official: Sam Allison.
VAR: David Coote.
Assistant VAR: Adrian Holmes.
TEAM NEWS
Brighton received a double boost for their 2nd game against Wolves as Adam Webster and Adam Lallana returned from injuries. Webster started the game and came through the full 90 unscathed. Lallana came off the bench and looked good.
It is unlikely that Lallana comes straight into the starting lineup against West Ham as Julio Enciso and Joao Pedro have been imperious in the No 10 role in his absence. However, Webster will continue in the middle of the defence alongside Lewis Dunk.
Besides these two, Jakub Moder remains a long-term absentee due to a serious knee injury.
West Ham United’s injury slate is clean and David Moyes will be thankful for that as Brighton are formidable opponents. A cloud hovers over the future of star man Lucas Paqueta amid allegations of betting but until everything is official, he will continue to play a key role. A penalty goal against Chelsea in the last game will have his confidence soaring.
They’ll only be missing Nayef Aguerd, who was red-carded against Chelsea. Angelo Ogbonna is expected to arrive in his place.
MATCH ANALYSIS
It might not look like it on paper, but this game perfectly encapsulates the variety of styles that are used and seen in English football. Brighton have come as close to footballing nirvana as possible for a team not considered to be a traditional giant in England. They are lethal from set pieces courtesy of Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster. The box midfield which affords them numerical superiority in the middle leaves the opponent chasing rings around them.
They’ve got electric dribbles in the form of Kaoru Mitoma and Julio Enciso if the opposition decided to sit back in a compact shape. Evan Ferguson is ever-improving and Danny Welbeck is enjoying the best spell of his career.
Such is their confidence at the moment that while other teams look to beat the press by playing over it, the Seagulls actively invite it onto them, before calmly playing through it, finding themselves in acres of space near the opponent’s penalty area.
Brighton can attack from all sides, in multiple ways. Therefore, they cannot be stopped completely. However, with some smart tinkering, life can be made difficult for them, and then it’s anybody’s game.
That is where David Moyes comes in. West Ham overwhelmed Chelsea physically in their last game, even scoring while being a man down and leading. That was made possible due to their set-piece prowess, supercharged by the arrival of James Ward-Prowse.
They will look to sit deep and hit Brighton on the counter while making them uncomfortable by turning this game into a good old scrap. If Brighton are allowed to play their game, they’ll wreck you. Moyes and this West Ham team are best suited to avoid that from happening.
KEY PLAYERS
Solly March
Since their promotion to the Premier League, Brighton have levelled up massively in terms of player quality. It is a testament then, to the quality of Solly March that he has remained a key contributor to the club since coming through the academy in 2013.
March has started this season on fire after a breakout year last season. After seven goals and seven assists in the league last season, he already has three goals in two games this year.
It included a double against Wolves in the previous game.
Brighton would expect him to find a lot of joy against West Ham. For all their defensive solidity, their left side is a potential weak link. Emerson is a willing and able defender but is prone to lapses in concentration. Ahead of him is Said Benrahma, who can blow hot and cold with his defensive contributions and tracking back.
March will have James Milner behind him manning the right side with full concentration, leaving him to wreak havoc up front against Emerson. If he succeeds in pushing Benrahma back, the game is won for the Seagulls.
James Ward-Prowse
It was baffling that a player of the quality of “JWP” didn’t garner much interest from PL’s elite. This has been to West Ham’s benefit as they signed him for just £30 million, a coup in the current market.
You know what you’ll get with him. Every free-kick under 30 yards is a bonafide goal threat now. Every corner, especially with West Ham’s vertical prowess, is a good goalscoring opportunity.
He already showed a sign of things to come by assisting from a set-piece against Chelsea and that is a line that will probably be said often this season. Brighton can’t afford to foul in dangerous positions to stop counters, that’s the effect Ward-Prowse has on opponents.
PREDICTED LINEUPS
Brighton predicted starting lineup: Steele; Milner, Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Gross, Dahoud, March; Pedro, Mitoma, Welbeck
West Ham predicted starting lineup: Areola; Coufal, Ogbonna, Zouma, Emerson; Soucek, Ward-Prowse; Bowen, Paqueta, Benrahma; Antonio.
