[Albion] West Ham United vs Brighton & Hove Albion *** Official Match Thread ***

[Dick Head]

West Ham v Albion

PREMIER LEAGUE

Venue: London Stadium
Date: Saturday 21st December 2024
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Referee: Robert Jones
Assistants: Ian Hussin, Neil Davies
Fourth Official: Sam Barrott
VAR: Paul Tierney
Additional VAR: Mark Scholes
​

TEAM NEWS

West Ham will be without midfielder Carlos Soler who picked up a fifth yellow card of the season in Monday night's draw with Bournemouth.

Emerson Palmieri meanwhile can return from suspension but Jean-Clair Todibo is likely to remain out and Michail Antonio has undergone surgery following a road traffic accident earlier this month.

Brighton can welcome back defender Joel Veltman who has missed the last four games with a muscle injury.

Matt O'Riley and Adam Webster have both returned to training and could also be in contention but Danny Welbeck is still sidelined by an ankle issue.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• West Ham's only victory in their 14 previous Premier League meetings against Brighton was a 3-1 away win last season (D7, L6).
• Brighton are unbeaten in all seven visits to the Hammers in the Premier League, winning two and drawing five.

West Ham

• West Ham are aiming to remain unbeaten in three successive league games for the first time this season.
• The Hammers have amassed 10 points from their past five home league matches, as many as they had manged in their previous 11 at the London Stadium.
• Their 73 goals conceded in 2024 is the club's worst such top-flight record in a calendar year since shipping the same amount in 1976.
• Jarrod Bowen's next league goal will be the 100th of his career, while his next appearance will be his 300th.
• Bowen is joint-second alongside Paolo Di Canio and Mark Noble on 47 goals as West Ham's leading Premier League goalscorers, behind only Michail Antonio (68).
• Julen Lopetegui's only previous competitive game as a manager against Brighton was a 6-0 Premier League defeat with Wolves in 2023.

Albion

• Brighton are now without a win in four Premier League matches (D2, L2), with only Southampton (6) currently on a longer such run.
• The Seagulls could lose consecutive league games for the first time since the appointment of Fabian Hurzeler.
• Hurzeler's side are one of just three, alongside Chelsea and Liverpool, to have scored in all of their away league matches so far this season.
• They have failed to win in five of their six games this season against teams that currently sit in the bottom six (D4, L1).
• Danny Welbeck remains one short of equalling Pascal Gross on 30 as Brighton's leading Premier League goalscorer.

Fabian Hürzeler's West Ham United Press Conference

 

[Mortdecai]

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I've got a feeling about this one

 

[Bry Nylon]

I've got a feeling about this one

Always a cracking atmosphere in the East End on the Saturday before Christmas.

I shall be sinking a few in the Queen Vic at lunchtime before heading up to Upton Park.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Always a cracking atmosphere in the East End on the Saturday before Christmas.

I shall be sinking a few in the Queen Vic at lunchtime before heading up to Upton Park.

Be sure to sit in your seat and not block the apples and pears

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Leaving for the Amex at 12.

 

[Swegulls]

Trust the process!

 

[Greg Bobkin]

This next game could be season-defining. These are a good side.

 

[Taybha]

Shhhhhhhhh ffs

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

You do all realise that all this "I post this little whimsy on every matchday thread" isn't working very well.

 

[super-seagulls]

You do all realise that all this "I post this little whimsy on every matchday thread" isn't working very well.

Well if we do win today now, you will have to post that on the first page of every matchday thread until the end of time!

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Well if we do win today now, you will have to post that on the first page of every matchday thread until the end of time!

Bloody happy to do so!!

 

[Beach Hut]

So excited

I have no ID that says I am a Wolves supporter if asked when entering the ground, this may be a long day...........

 

[Flounce]

Trust the process!

Currently struggling with that

Hopefully we can avoid conceding 2 goals within 8 minutes for a change….I am f***ing hating that part of the process!

 

[Eric the meek]

These matchday threads are all the same.

How about we change the format a bit?

'This week, I've decided to go to the right ground', and whatever happens, it won't be season defining'.

 

[Goldstone1976]

These matchday threads are all the same.

How about we change the format a bit?

'This week, I've decided to go to the right ground', and whatever happens, it won't be season defining'.

That’s all very well, but were loose. Defiantly.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

You do all realise that all this "I post this little whimsy on every matchday thread" isn't working very well.

It works for me

 

[Greg Bobkin]

These matchday threads are all the same.

How about we change the format a bit?

'This week, I've decided to go to the right ground', and whatever happens, it won't be season defining'.

Nah. Fack that.

 

[Han Solo]

I've got a feeling about this one

Came here to say this. Good you did, now I can log off from NSC for the rest of the day...

..maybe.

 

[coyotitokino]

Here's the lineup i'd like see (assuming Ferdi and Welbeck remain injured):

Verbruggen
Veltman
Van Hecke
Igor
Estupinan
Baleba
Wieffer
Rutter (R)
Joao Pedro (L)
Enciso
Ferguson