Brighton & Hove Albion – West Ham
On the 34th matchday of all days, Graham Potter returns to the stadium where he was once celebrated – this time as West Ham coach. After five league games without a win, his former club Brighton & Hove Albion seem just as clueless as the Hammers, who have been chasing three points in vain for six games. The Seagulls are particularly short in the center, with Igor and Milner still out, while West Ham are without Alvarez (internal dispute) and Antonio (broken leg). Welbeck, who scored twice last time out, is nevertheless hoping for space against a London defense that is already looking shaky. With both teams having only managed a 1-1 draw against each other since December and generally on an equal footing, it is difficult to pick a clear favorite – especially as this fixture traditionally only really gets going after the break.
Brighton – West Ham Info
- Venue: American Express Stadium, Falmer, East Sussex
- Date and time: 26.04.2025, 16:00
- Competition: Premier League (matchday 34)
Brighton form & record check
Fabian Hürzeler is still waiting for his first league win: Brighton has gone five competitive games without a win, losing three times, most recently 2-4 at Brentford. Remarkably, each of these games was level at half-time, but then fell apart. Sitting in 10th place, they can feel the breath of Brentford on their necks, who are only two points behind. The injury list is long, but Welbeck has scored two goals in the last three games – almost 80% of these games have seen at least two goals, albeit mostly at both ends.
Brighton are likely to start in a 4-2-3-1 formation again: Verbruggen; Wieffer, van Hecke, Dunk, Estupiñán; Baleba, Hinshelwood; Minteh, O’Riley, João Pedro; Welbeck. March, Adingra, or Mitoma are options on the bench. Despite the absences of Steele, Igor, Webster, Kadıoğlu, Lamptey, and Milner, the starting eleven remains familiar and balanced in attack.
West Ham form & record check
West Ham also look shaken: three draws and two defeats in their last five league games, failing to score before half-time in any of them. Late goals – such as the recent 1-1 draw against Southampton in stoppage time – have cost them extra points. This dry spell has seen Potter’s side slip to 17th in the table, just one point ahead of Tottenham. Injuries (Antonio, Summerville) and the disciplinary issues surrounding Alvarez are exacerbating the situation, while Kudus’ goal drought is increasing the pressure on Jarrod Bowen.
West Ham are likely to stick with a 4-2-3-1 formation: Areola; Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Soler, Ward-Prowse; Bowen, Kudus, Paquetá; Füllkrug. Antonio, Cresswell and Summerville are all out, so Potter is opting for continuity. Wan-Bissaka or Mavropanos are available as defensive options.
H2H Brighton – West Ham Head-to-Head & Statistics
In the last five head-to-head matches, Brighton won two and West Ham only one. At halftime, the score was always under 1.5 goals, but the game opened up after the break – Brighton scored in all three of their most recent encounters after the break, with West Ham conceding at least one goal in each game. Overall, three of these games saw over 1.5 goals, including Brighton’s clear 4-0 home win in 2023. The Seagulls therefore have a slight psychological advantage.
