West Ham will be looking to maintain their 100% start to the new Premier League season when they travel to the Amex Stadium to face high-flying Brighton on Saturday evening.
The Hammers have picked up four points from their first two league matches, with a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth followed by a spirited 3-1 victory with 10 men at home against London rivals Chelsea last weekend.
The way they overcame Chelsea should give David Moyes’ men a lot of confidence heading into the game against Brighton, who have since kickstarted the new campaign in emphatic fashion, winning their opening two games against Luton Town and Wolves by 4-1 scorelines, respectively.
West Ham Team News
West Ham’s latest signing Konstantinos Mavropanos is not ready to make his debut this weekend against Brighton as he is nursing a minor injury. Fellow centre-back Nayef Aguerd is suspended after picking up two yellow cards against Chelsea, but Thilo Kehrer is available after recovering from a back problem.
Predicted West Ham lineup vs Brighton (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper
Alphonse Areola dived perfectly to save Enzo Fernandez’s spot kick last weekend, playing a crucial role in West Ham’s 3-1 win over Chelsea. The Frenchman is a certainty to start in between the sticks again.
Defence
West Ham are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Vladimir Coufal and Emerson Palmieri deployed as the full-backs. They will look to go forward and contribute offensively when possible apart from their defensive responsibilities.
Thilo Kehrer’s recovery from a back problem comes at a good time when Nayef Aguerd is suspended and new signing Konstantinos Mavropanos is not yet ready to play. In Aguerd’s absence, Kehrer will start alongside Kurt Zouma at the heart of West Ham’s defence.
Midfield
In the midfield double pivot, Edson Alvarez could be handed his first start after coming off the bench in the win over Chelsea, while fellow summer signing James Ward-Prowse will keep his place in Moyes’ starting XI after an impressive debut that saw him produce two assists.
Alvarez will look to fill the void in midfield left by Declan Rice, and the Mexican’s presence will allow Ward-Prowse to push a few yards up and create goalscoring opportunities for the forwards. Lucas Paqueta, who scored an ice-cold penalty to seal West Ham’s win over Chelsea, should continue acting as the creative link between the Hammers’ midfield and attack, with Tomas Soucek dropping down to the bench.
Attack
Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma will be deployed as the wingers, and the two players will look to add creativity and width to the side. They will look to unlock the Brighton defence with their pace and flair. Fresh from scoring a great goal against Chelsea, Michail Antonio will lead the line for the visitors. He will be confident of getting on the score sheet at the Amex Stadium.