Brighton & Hove Albion will be looking to maintain their 100% start to the new Premier League season when they play host to West Ham United at the American Express Community Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Hammers will be seeking revenge against the Seagulls after suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat on the South coast in March.
Match preview
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After securing their highest-ever Premier League finish of sixth place and qualifying for Europe for the first time in their history last season, Brighton have since kick-started the new campaign in emphatic fashion, winning their opening two games against Luton Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers by 4-1 scorelines.
The Seagulls soared to victory against Wolves last weekend in their first game of the post-Moises Caicedo era courtesy of a sublime Kaoru Mitoma opener, a brace from Solly March and a strike from in-form left-back Pervis Estupinan all within the first 55 minutes, before Hwang Hee-chan pulled one back for the hosts in the final half hour.
Roberto De Zerbi's side now sit at the top of the Premier League table, becoming the 53rd different club to finish a day at the top-flight summit, while only five teams have picked up more Premier League points that Brighton (55) since the Italian boss replaced Graham Potter last October, with the Seagulls winning 16 of their 34 matches during this period.
Brighton will soon discover who they will face in the Europa League group stage, but they must first turn their attention to back-to-back home games against West Ham and Newcastle United, starting with Saturday's clash against the former whom the Seagulls have beaten in each of their last three league meetings by an aggregate score of 9-1.
Indeed, the Seagulls cruised to victories without reply in both home and away fixtures against the Hammers last season, and they will be confident of further success on Saturday as they endeavour to win their opening three matches of a new league season for the first time in over a decade.
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West Ham were in a difficult place the last time that they visited the American Express Community Stadium five months ago, with David Moyes clinging onto his job as his side battled to avoid relegation.
However, the Hammers successfully steered themselves away from danger before winning the Europa Conference League – their first major European trophy for 58 years – and they have since made a relatively bright start to the new campaign.
Without the presence of last season's captain Declan Rice, West Ham have picked up four points from their first two league matches, with a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth followed by a hard-fought 3-1 victory with 10 men at home against big-spending London rivals Chelsea last weekend.
Summer signing James Ward-Prowse provided two assists on his debut, setting up Nayef Aguerd and Michail Antonio either side of a Carney Chukwuemeka equaliser, and although Aguerd was given his marching orders with over 20 minutes remaining, Lucas Paqueta secured all three points for the hosts with a penalty kick deep into second-half stoppage time.
Moyes and co head into Saturday's match having failed to win any of their previous 12 Premier League meetings with Brighton, losing and drawing six games each – their longest unbeaten run against any team in the division. The last time that the Hammers came out on top against the Seagulls was back in April 2012 when they secured a thumping 6-0 win in the Championship.
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Team News
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Brighton attacker Julio Enciso has sustained a knee injury in training this week and the Paraguayan could be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Jakub Moder (knee) is the Seagulls' only other injury concern, but both Adam Webster and Adam Lallana recovered from injury issues to feature against Wolves and the duo are in contention to play on Saturday, with Webster hoping to keep his place at centre-back alongside captain Lewis Dunk.
The expected absence of Enciso, who started against Wolves, could see summer signing Joao Pedro recalled to the first XI and operate as a shadow striker behind either Danny Welbeck or Evan Ferguson, while Mahmoud Dahoud will battle with Billy Gilmour for a start in centre-midfield alongside Pascal Gross.
As for West Ham, new recruit Konstantinos Mavropanos, who joined from Stuttgart on Tuesday, is nursing a minor injury and will not make his debut on Saturday, but Thilo Kehrer is available for selection after recovering from a back problem that forced him to miss the win over Chelsea.
The Hammers will be without the suspended Nayef Aguerd, though, so either Kehrer or Angelo Ogbonna is expected to start in central defence alongside Kurt Zouma.
Versatile midfielder Edson Alvarez could also fill in at centre-back and will be pushing for his first Hammers start after coming on as a second-half substitute against Chelsea, while fellow summer signing Ward-Prowse is set to continue in midfield after making his full debut last weekend.
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Steele; Milner, Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Gross, Dahoud; March, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck
West Ham United possible starting lineup:
Areola; Coufal, Zouma, Kehrer, Emerson; Soucek, Ward-Prowse; Bowen, Paqueta, Benrahma; Antonio
We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 West Ham United
Both teams will enter Saturday's contest in buoyant mood after securing impressive victories last weekend, but the high-flying hosts will be regarded as favourites to claim maximum points.
Indeed, Brighton look a real threat going forward and we can see them having more joy in front of goal against a West Ham side who have conceded in seven of their last eight Premier League matches, including results from last season.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
