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The London Stadium plays host to a 6th vs 8th place matchup in the Premier League where West Ham face Brighton. The Hammers beat Brighton 3-1 earlier this season which was their first victory against the Seagulls in 13 attempts.
Since promotion to the Premier League in 2017, Brighton have a fantastic record away to West Ham and haven’t lost on any of their six visits to the London Stadium. Will they continue their excellent streak or can West Ham complete a league double over Roberto De Zerbi’s men?
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West Ham vs Brighton predicted lineups
Paqueta absence a blow for West Ham
Michail Antonio remains injured and he’s been joined on the treatment table by Lucas Paqueta and Kurt Zouma. The loss of their Brazilian playmaker Paqueta is a blow because he’s been in decent form lately, nailing a hat-trick of assists vs Wolves just before Christmas. Centre back Nayef Aguerd has missed the last three games with illness and is rated doubtful again so manager David Moyes is likely to stick with the defensive pairing of Angelo Ogbonna and Konstantinos Mavropanos. Said Benrahma missed a late penalty vs Arsenal but should retain his place in the side on the left wing.
Captain Lewis Dunk is suspended
Brighton have a barrage of injuries but one major boost was the recent return of Ecuadorian left back Pervis Estupinan. They continue to be short-handed at the back with captain Lewis Dunk suspended and the likes of Adam Webster and Joel Veltman injured. They also have several issues in attack with Simon Adingra and Kaoru Mitoma on the treatment table along with a few others. This has opened the door to players such as Billy Gilmour and James Milner to start in midfield, with Joao Pedro and Danny Welbeck leading the line in attack.
West Ham vs Brighton team stats
Hammers quality over quantity with their shooting
West Ham have a decent goalscoring touch and average 1.74 goals per game. This is despite only racking up a measly 11.26 shots per game which is definitely on the low side. The Hammers are a strong counter-attacking side and tend to make the most of their chances. Converting well over a third of their attempts on target is impressive. One stat which stands out massively is their corners against per game (6.58). Cards are very much on the low side with David Moyes’ men keeping their discipline but not drawing many bookings from opponents.
Lack of clean sheets hindering Brighton
Brighton average plenty of goals but also concede on a regular basis. Their goals against of 1.74 is undoubtedly an Achilles heel and they’re yet to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League this season. The strength of De Zerbi’s men is certainly offensively and they have an impressive accuracy ratio in front of goal, converting their 15 shots into over six on target. The high card count in Brighton games at an average of exactly six is very notable.
West Ham vs Brighton shots and shots on target stats
Benrahma eager to catch the eye
West Ham only average just over 11 shots per game but with Said Benrahma in the predicted lineup this statistic could increase. The Algerian international usually likes to try his luck regularly and will be eager to make up for his penalty miss in the previous game. The 1.67 on offer that he has three or more shots looks within his range. Jarrod Bowen can usually be relied on to hit the target and a good West Ham bet builder option could be on the former Hull City man to have one or more shots on target at 1.40. Mohammed Kudus has been in great form and 1.40 that he has two or more shots also looks like a bit of value.
Welbeck and Gross the most accurate
The Seagulls average around 15 shots per game and there are several candidates who might try their luck here. Joao Pedro is on penalty duty and is usually good for about three attempts per game. He is priced at 1.50 to have three or more shots which could be a nice addition to your Brighton bet builder. For a shot on target then, either Danny Welbeck (1.57) or Pascal Gross (2.0) could be options at reasonable prices. Gross has a decent accuracy ratio from his shots and tends to wait for the right opportunity to fire at goal.
West Ham vs Brighton goals and assist stats
Kudus with the Midas touch
Jarrod Bowen is the standout scorer for West Ham and has netted 11 times this season. He is a big price at 3.0 to score against a Brighton team who are yet to keep a clean sheet this season. Ghanaian international Mohammed Kudus (3.60 anytime) has been in great form and will be eager to sign off with a goal before he leaves for Africa Cup of Nations Cup. He’s scored 5 times in his last 8 games with all those coming at the London Stadium. James Ward-Prowse could be the best option for West Ham in the ‘to score or assist’ market at 2.40.
Joao Pedro to hit the spot again
Joao Pedro is perhaps the most likely Brighton goalscorer here, aided by the fact he’s on penalty duty for the hosts. He’s priced at 3.0 to hit the back of the net which could look massive come the final whistle. German international Pascal Gross is a dual threat and 3.30 in the ‘to score or assist’ market which is maybe worth considering. Danny Welbeck could lead the line for Brighton and is 3.50 to score at the London Stadium.
West Ham cardS and fouls stats
Emerson and Alvarez getting stuck in
The Hammers are quite a clean team under David Moyes and only average 2.47 cards per game. They are mid table for fouls in the Premier League at exactly 11 per game. Mohammed Kudus averages 1.57 fouls per 90 minutes and looks like the best bet builder addition at 1.30 to commit at least one infringement. Both Emerson and Edson Alvarez are serial card-getters and can be backed at 5.0 and 3.0 respectively to go into the referee’s book. Emerson is 1.36 just to commit one or more fouls which looks a decent price considering his position on the field at left back.
Brighton are the fifth most fouled team in the Premier League and their style of play often brings opponents under pressure. They draw 3.21 cards against on average per game and Brazilian attacker Joao Pedro is probably going to cause the biggest issue here. He could pop up anywhere in attack but with Danny Welbeck likely leading the line his matchup vs defensive midfielders Alvarez and Tomas Soucek is interesting. Both are the shortest price of any player in this match to commit at least one foul. Alvarez is 1.83 to commit two or more fouls which is a more backable option.
Brighton cards and fouls stats
Milner might be vulnerable
The Seagulls rank sixth for most cards obtained in the Premier League this season. They can be quite a dirty team and under the current manager, players can get carried away and hot-headed. They are missing a few players who regularly go into the book though, with captain Lewis Dunk the latest suspension. It might fall on the likes of Billy Gilmour or Igor Julio to force the issue. Don’t rule out experienced veteran James Milner either who doesn’t really have the legs anymore and is sometimes forced into a cynical tactical foul. The former Leeds and Liverpool man is 1.22 to commit at least one foul, with Igor Julio a hefty 1.44 in the same market.
West Ham are fouled 10.20 times per game which is a mediocre rank within the Premier League. They only draw 1.47 cards per match from their opponents which is one of the lowest amounts in the entire division. The Hammers average just 41% possession which might explain this statistic but they will still cause problems on the counterattack with the trio of Kudus, Benrahma and Bowen all very capable of drawing fouls. Brighton’s Igor Julio and Jack Hinshelwood could come under the most pressure along with holding midfielders James Milner and Billy Gilmour.
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