Brighton 0-0 West Ham
KICK OFF!
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How the teams line up...
Brighton: Verbruggen; Wieffer, Dunk, Baleba, Estupinan; Ayari, Hinshelwood; March, O'Riley, Adingra; Welbeck.
Subs: Steele, Lamptey, Gruda, Cashin, Minteh, Mitoma, Gomez, Veltman, Tasker.
West Ham: Areola; Todibo, Mavropanos, Kilman; Wan-Bissaka, Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Paqueta, Emerson; Bowen, Kudus.
Subs: Fabianksi, Cresswell, Soler, Coufal, Fullkrug, Guilherme, Ings, Rodriguez, Irving.
Here come the teams!
Brighton and West Ham emerge from the tunnel and into the sunshine - kick-off is moments away!
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Fullkrug was right to speak out on West Ham... the data backs him up
The Radar column this week argues that Niclas Fullkrug was right to air some West Ham home truths, despite head coach Graham Potter's disapproval.
The data suggests his assessment of the 1-1 draw with Southampton, given in a candid interview after last Sunday's game, was spot-on.
Read the analysis below.
Why Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez is a transfer target for Liverpool, Man City and Real Madrid - The Radar
Sky Sports
Jones Knows: West Ham to earn away win
Sky Sports' Lewis Jones:
"Brighton are a team that are easy to play against if you are happy to let them have the ball.
"When they've enjoyed 50 per cent or more possession in a game this season, their record is abysmal. In the last 21 games, they've won just three of those matches.
"In that time, they've drawn at home with Ipswich, Leicester, Southampton, Wolves, Brentford and lost to Everton.
"I covered their game at Brentford last weekend and they were absolutely schooled by Thomas Frank tactically and in terms of application and a desire to win the duels.
"Brentford ran them ragged in transition - and Graham Potter, former Brighton manager no less, is savvy enough to produce a gameplan to beat them.
"West Ham on the double chance at 5/4 with Sky Bet is a fantastic price - as is the 4/1 for the away win."
SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2 | JONES KNOWS' BEST BET: West Ham to win (4/1 with Sky Bet)
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Potter: Fullkrug's comments not helpful
West Ham boss Graham Potter has told outspoken striker Niclas Fullkrug his angry post-match comments were not helpful to the club.
Germany international Fullkrug accused half of his team-mates of not listening to the head coach after they conceded a last-gasp equaliser to draw 1-1 at home to rock-bottom Southampton last weekend.
Potter admitted the 31-year-old may have had a point, but felt his opinion should have been aired behind closed doors.
“I think he wears his heart on his sleeve,” said Potter. “I would disagree with him in some things and agree with him in others.
“But he’s entitled to his opinion. As a senior player, we’ve had lots of honest conversations. And I think for me it’s better to have the conversations in private, not in public.
“Then as a group we move forward. That’s how it is. You need to be honest.
“You need to be able to say what you think. That’s for sure. And then you have to think about the team as well.
“We have a responsibility to the team and the club. And from my perspective, sometimes I could be honest about how I really feel.
“But I don’t think it’s helpful to the players. I don’t think it’s helpful to the club. So, we all have to be aware of our responsibilities as well.”
Last time out: Brentford 4-2 Brighton
Hurzeler doesn't want 'happy-clappy' culture
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler says he has no problem with Danny Welbeck’s public criticism of his team-mates and is determined to avoid a “happy-clappy” atmosphere at the club.
Welbeck was highly critical of the players’ performance following a 4-2 loss at Brentford which extended the Seagulls winless run to six games and further dented their ambitions of securing European football.
“We need to play far more collectively. Fight for each other more,” Welbeck, who scored his 10th goal of the season at the Gtech Community Stadium said.
“It was evident that we weren’t doing that.”
Asked about Welbeck’s comments ahead of Saturday’s visit of West Ham, Hurzeler said he was happy for his players to be “honest” with each other.
“Danny Welbeck, we all know he’s a leader on the pitch and beside the pitch,” Hurzeler said.
“He’s someone who’s here for a long time, who scores a lot of goals, who gives a great effort for this club so we can be sure he wants the best for this club and the best for his team-mates.
“What I always demand is for a culture where not everything is happy-clappy.
“We demand a culture where we can be honest with each other, where we can share our thoughts, where we can give each other critical feedback.
“If you only are positive and only clap the shoulders of your team-mates then I’m sure no-one gets better from that. So that’s the main thing that I demand here in this club and in this environment.
“Of course it should be a positive environment but it also should be a very demanding environment, a demanding culture, because like this you improve as a team and as individuals.”
Last time out: West Ham 1-1 Southampton
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Potter determined to help West Ham heal from 'hangover'
Graham Potter believes West Ham are suffering with a hangover stretching back to when David Moyes was in charge.
The Hammers were booed off last weekend after conceding a last-minute equaliser to draw 1-1 at home to rock-bottom Southampton.
They currently lie a lowly 17th in the Premier League having collected just 13 points from 13 matches since Potter took over from the sacked Julen Lopetegui in January.
Moyes memorably guided West Ham to the Europa Conference League title in 2023, but his final season became a slog with the Hammers eventually finishing ninth.
Lopetegui took over in the summer but failed to lift the mood - the Spaniard managed 23 points from his 20 matches in charge - and Potter says his players are still bearing the scars of some heavy defeats.
"In the 40 games before I arrived the club conceded 80-something goals in the Premier League, and scored 50. That's a minus-30 goal difference," said Potter, who takes his side to former club Brighton on Saturday.
"So if you're a West Ham fan and that's what you've seen for a period of time, then of course you're going to be upset. You're going to be frustrated. I'm the same.
"It's a long period of results, 6-0, 5-0, 4-0, those type of results can create a feeling, whether you try and push it away or not, it's still there because that's the recent history.
"If you add another layer to that, if that's a team from the Championship, it's still a tough season but it's a team from the Championship.
"But if you're West Ham and you recently won a trophy and you normally go for Europe, then you can imagine the pressure that's coming on to the group.
"That's what we have to deal with, we have to find a way together to get through it and we will because I see the character of the players, I see the quality, I see what they're trying to do every day."
Expected formations...
March makes first start of season for Brighton
Solly March makes his first start of the season for Brighton as Fabian Hurzeler makes three changes from their 4-2 defeat at Brentford.
March, who has been plagued by injury, comes in for Yankuba Minteh while Joao Pedro drops out due to suspension after his straight red card.
Simon Adingra and Yasin Adingra come in and Jan Paul van Hecke is absent after sustaining a head injury last weekend.
Kaoru Mitoma remains among the substitutes after coming off the bench to score last weekend.
Fullkrug benched after criticising team-mates
West Ham boss Graham Potter has dropped Niclas Fullkrug to the bench after the striker criticised his team-mates following last weekend's 1-1 draw with Southampton.
Fullkrug accused half of his team-mates of not listening to the head coach after they conceded a last-gasp equaliser.
Potter said this week that the Germany international's comments hadn't been helpful and should only be aired in private.
Tomas Soucek comes into midfield while Aaron Wan-Bissaka returns at right-back for Vladimir Coufal.
Konstantinos Mavropanos starts at centre-back with Carlos Soler dropping out.
West Ham team news
West Ham: Areola; Todibo, Mavropanos, Kilman; Wan-Bissaka, Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Paqueta, Emerson; Bowen, Kudus.
Subs: Fabianksi, Cresswell, Soler, Coufal, Fullkrug, Guilherme, Ings, Rodriguez, Irving.
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Brighton team news
Brighton: Verbruggen; Wieffer, Dunk, Baleba, Estupinan; Ayari, Hinshelwood; March, O'Riley, Adingra; Welbeck.
Subs: Steele, Lamptey, Gruda, Cashin, Minteh, Mitoma, Gomez, Veltman, Tasker.
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Brighton without Van Hecke
Brighton will be without the services of Jan Paul van Hecke against West Ham after he was carried off on a stretcher following a clash of heads at Brenford.
The defender should be able to return next week.
“I think everyone saw the foul so it was a tough one,” boss Fabian Hurzeler said. “We have to be careful with his health.
“We can’t risk playing him this weekend but I am sure that we follow all the protocols and then he will be back next week.”