Premier League: It’s Time for the Hammers to Show Some Steel

West Ham United vs Brighton & Hove Albion

We’re at the halfway stage in the English top flight; well we will be on Tuesday when round 19 kicks off, with Premier League: West Ham United vs Brighton one of the high stakes battles which will see out 2025. 

West Ham are in 18^th place in the Premier League table and in a whole world of trouble, five points from safety, and they face a team which has hit a sticky patch, without a win in five, a run which has left the Seagulls in 12^th place. The Hammers board appointed Nuno Espírito Santo to pick up their fortunes after a slow start but it hasn’t happened yet and, on Saturday, West Ham lost a home derby against Fulham.

Meanwhile, Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton did start the 2025/26 campaign well but they seem to be suffering their habitual mid season slump, which continued at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday with a 2-1 loss to league leaders Arsenal.

Both teams are desperate for a long awaited victory…but the hosts’ situation is more urgent.           

 

Talking Points

Hammers need their fans more than ever

West Ham’s London derby with Fulham was no festive treat for the Iron fans as Fulham striker Raul Jimenez scored a late winner for the Cottagers. It was the Hammers’ 11^th Premier League defeat in the calendar year, an unwanted joint record shared with the team of 1967. And despite the switch in the dugout, West Ham have picked up just 13 points from 18 league games, their worst tally since 2010, when they were relegated at the end of the season.

And, perhaps most worryingly of all, the Hammers have lost seven of their nine home games this term.

The London Stadium cane be a hostile place to visit, but a section of the West Ham fans, notoriously difficult to please, can turn on their team and increase the pressure, particularly when times are bad. The Hammers fans roared on their team on Saturday, but misses from Soungoutou Magassa and skipper Jarrod Bowen frustrated the supporters and, as the tension rose, young left back Ollie Scarles misplaced a clearance allowing Harry Wilson to tee up Jimenez’ late winner.               

Fulham have pulled clear of the relegation trio leaving Nottingham Forest in the precarious 17^th place, but the Midlanders are still five points clear of the bottom three.   

Bowen can always be relied on to create chances and give 100 per cent; but his team-mates need to go with him and bring the fans with them. 

 

Hurzeler wants Brighton to wake up

The Seagulls position is much more comfortable than their hosts, but it could have been better if they had maintained their early season momentum. Brighton looked sleepy in the first half against Arsenal, when they could easily have been four down at the break. But Arsenal were wasteful and only had Martin Odegaard’s goal to show for the first 45 minutes.

The Seagulls went 2-0 down when Georginio Rutter put through his own net but a goal from Diego Gomez midway through the half gave the Gunners the jitters, and only a miraculous save from David Raya denied Yankubah Minteh a late equaliser. “In the first half we didn’t play a good game,” said Hurzeler, “without courage, without personality. Second half was completely the opposite. We had chances to make it 2-2. In the end, a disappointing result.”

In better news for the Seagulls, veteran striker Danny Welbeck came on late during the loss to Arsenal and he seems to be over his back problem, though Hurzeler will look after his top scorer as to when he brings him back into the starting eleven.    

 

History

The head to head West Ham United vs Brighton results have thrown up plenty of draws in recent years, with ten stalemates from the last 22 encounters, and eight Brighton wins to the Hammers four. And at the London Stadium that pattern is more pronounced, with six draws from 11, two West Ham wins and three victories for the Seagulls.

When they met at the beginning of September the two clubs played out a 1-1 draw and, while Brighton won 3-2 at the Amex Stadium last season, it was 1-1 again on the Hammers’ home turf.  

West Ham have picked up just two points from their last six league games, with draws against Manchester United and the Seagulls, while Brighton have won one, drawn two and lost three.    

 

Betting Tip

The pre-match West Ham United vs Brighton betting odds make the Seagulls the favourites to take all three points, at a SBOTOP price of 2.30, with the Hammers out at 3.25 to grab a crucial victory. But I’m backing another stalemate and, a repeat of the recent 1-1 result is available at 6.50.   

   

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