Two struggling Premier League teams lock horns in a battle for redemption as West Ham United take on Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.
Graham Potter will be under the spotlight as he returns to his old stomping ground.
The Englishman spent three years in charge of the Seagulls, honing his craft and developing into one of the finest managers in the Premier League.
That was three years ago. Since then, his stock has plummeted.
An ill-fated spell at Chelsea is now followed by what has been a horrendous start to life in East London.
Nevertheless, he’d be keen to prove he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level, and what better way to spark an uptick in form than against his former employers?
Match Preview
Brighton’s hopes of playing in Europe are hanging by a thread after last weekend’s disappointing 4-2 defeat at Brentford.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side have now gone five league games without a win, picking up just one point from a possible 12
The Seagulls managed to reach half-time level at the Gtech Community Stadium, as Danny Welbeck’s late first-half strike cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s opener.
However, a slow start to the second half saw them concede twice in 10 minutes before Joao Pedro’s red card poured fuel on the fire.
Kaoru Mitoma dragged them back into the tie, but Christian Norgaard struck late to condemn Brighton to their ninth league defeat.
Brighton are down, but they still have faint hopes of clinching a spot in Europe. They’re just one point behind Bournemouth and nine adrift of seventh place Aston Villa.
Defensive frailties have been a factor behind Brighton’s drop-off in form, as they have conceded two or more goals in each of their last five league games.
That record is just shy of the six-game run they set in March 2022.
But on the flip side, the Seagulls have only lost one of their 15 top-flight meetings with West Ham (W6, D8), which should give them some confidence ahead of Saturday’s contest.
Unlike their South Coast counterparts, West Ham have nothing left to fight for this season except their pride and reputation.
The Hammers have been woeful this season. Potter was brought in to stem the bleeding, but three wins in 13 league games make for grim reading.
The Hammers couldn’t even get past relegated Southampton unscathed, as they were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw.
A last-gasp equaliser from Lesley Ugochukwu cancelled out Jarrod Bowen’s opener to snatch a point off the Hammers, sparking public fury from the more experienced Niclas Fullkrug.
West Ham are 17th in the table. They’d officially be safe from relegation if they pick up at least a point against Brighton or Ipswich Town fail to beat Newcastle United.
The Hammers are winless in six games, alternating between a defeat and a draw. They’ll face Brighton, having collected five points from their last nine available against the Seagulls (W1, D2).
West Ham beat Brighton 3-1 at the Amex last season. They’ve won four league games on the road this term, keeping a clean sheet each time.
But when it rains, it pours for West Ham, especially on the road.
They haven’t won any of their last 15 away games in the league when conceding at least once (D5, L10).
Team News
Brighton will be without Jan Paul van Hecke, who was stretchered off with a head injury in the defeat to Brentford.
He joins Ferdi Kadioglu, James Milner, Adam Webster, Igor Julio, Georginio Rutter, and Jason Steele in the infirmary.
As for West Ham, Michail Antonio, Crysencio Summerville, Aaron Cresswell, and Edson Alvarez are out, while Evan Ferguson is ineligible to face his parent club.
Brighton & Hove Albion potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Bart Verbruggen; Mats Wieffer, Lewis Dunk, Carlos Baleba, Pervis Estupinan; Jack Hinshelwood, Yasin Ayari; Yankuba Minteh, Matt O’Riley, Kaoru Mitoma; Danny Welbeck.
West Ham United potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Alphonse Areola; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, Oliver Scarles; Tomas Soucek, James Ward-Prowse; Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Paqueta; Niclas Fullkrug.