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Baleba, who we mentioned earlier, won this game at the death last season.
In Cremona, Jamie Vardy’s Cremonese have beaten Lecce 2-0. No goals for the cosmopolitan hit-man, but his team are up to ninth in Serie A.
I’m really excited to see what Nuno does with El-Hadji Malick Diouf, whose raw materials are spectacular. He needs more defensive discipline and patience, by physically, he’s off the charts, and his crossing is superb. At Everton, he pretty much turned the game by himself, and if Wieffer goes forward supporting Minteh, expect him to attack the space in behind.
“Celebrating the resurgence of West Ham is a bit premature, chides Eric Peterson. “They’re on a three-game winless streak, with those games against: a sinking Bournemouth, a floundering Manchester United, and an imploding Liverpool. Facing Brighton, which hadn’t lost since October before running into an irresistible Aston Villa, will provide a sterner, and truer, test.”
They’re much better than they were; United battered Brighton; and Villa were not irresistible in midweek. I don’t think West Ham will go down, do you?
I’m looking forward to seeing how Carlos Baleba does today. I’m in no position to speculate as what’s triggered his drop in form, but it’s a fact: no player in the league has been subbed as early as often.
Of course, he’s still a terrific talent, strong, fast, excellent in the tackle and sharp with his ball-carrying. But he does need to improve and begin affecting games again – which’ll be harder in the absence of his regular partner, Yasin Ayari.
Also going on:
So, where is the game? West Ham will look to defend deep and in numbers, and bringing in Summerville for Wilson suggests they’ll be hoping to counter swiftly. I also think that, with Rodriguez and Fernandes in midfield, Paqueta will have scope to romp about dropping grenades with Bowen darting about in between and in behind the centre-backs and full-bakcs.
Brighton, meanwhile, will look to keep the ball and draw West Ham out of position, playing off Welbeck with the full-backs and wingers looking to overload the wing-backs.
Hurzeler makes two changes to the team that lost midweek, Welbeck and Rutter replacing Tzimas and Gruda Nuno introduces Paqueta, back from suspension, along with Rodriguez, Summerville and Kilman, with Potts, Soucek, Wilson and Magassa dropping out.
On the other hand, this is very, very grey – John Major Spitting Image puppet grey – and the least said about the double collar the better.
Fabian Hurzeler says his team played well in losing a 2-0 lead at home to Villa in midweek. They need to keep working on their clean sheets and doing the basics.
With Welbeck back in from the start, he says it’s important to have a strong spine and cites his centre-forward as a leader to whom the young players look up, saying he leads the defending from the front.
He wants his team to be patient and is sure his team has the skills to get it done today.
Before we look at the teams in detail, Nuno talks abut making changes following “an intense game” on Thursday night. It’s difficult trying to compete while building new processes and ideas, but his team did a lot of good things last time out and they are confident and positive.
Finally, he discusses how talented Lucas Paqueta is, saying he’s ready to play, and Brighton are an attacking team, so they need to attack also.
Teams!
Brighton (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Wieffer, Dunk, Van Hecke, Kadioglu; Baleba, Gomez; Minteh, Rutter, De Cuyper; Welbeck. Subs: Steele, Gruda, Hinshelwood, Kostoulas, Boscagli, Veltman, Coppola, Knight, Oriola.
West Ham (5-3-2-): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Mavropanos, Todibo, Diouf; Rodriguez, Fernandes, Paqueta; Summerville, Bowen. Subs: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Wilson, Fullkrug, Magassa, Soucek, Potts, Irving, Mayers.
Preamble
In the 42 years I’ve been pathologically obsessed with this thing of ours, I don’t remember a season remotely like this one: five points separate Chelsea, in fourth, from Bournemouth, in 13th.
So, why is that? Money, of course, is operative: Premier League sides are able to outspend those everywhere else in the world. But it’s also the case that there’ve never been more brilliant footballers in the world, meaning every club can have some and, in the absence of much managerial brilliance – and, perhaps much elite on-pitch ability – there’s little to choose between a vast swathe of clubs, each of which can beat almost all of the rest on a good day.
Brighton are undoubtedly one of those, currently 10th in the table but able to move sixth with a win today – at least until Crystal Palace visit Fulham. Previously, it’s felt like they’re limited by a glass ceiling, unable to take the step from upper-mid-table to something a bit better, but this season offers them a chance at something more. It’s not impossible for them to finish in the top four – the problem they have is the same is so of numerous other clubs too.
If they are to make something happen, West Ham at home is the kind of match they need to win. Thing is, that’s become far harder in recent weeks, Nuno Espírito Santo instilling solidity and discipline evidenced most recently by Thursday night’s comeback draw at Old Trafford. Though the Irons are 18th in the table, that is, in part, a legacy of Graham Potter’s time in charge – they needn’t be very much worse than various of the sides above them and, we can be almost sure, will turn up at the Amex ready for a ruck.
Kick-off: 1pm GMT
