West Ham United vs Brighton & Hove Albion
English Premier League, KO: 14:00 Aug 21, 2022, London Stadium
WEST HAM UNITED will be looking to put their first Premier League points of the season on the board when they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Hammers could hardly have asked for a tougher opening test against champions Manchester City, as Erliing Haaland took centre stage in a 2-0 success for the Citizens.
David Moyes' men didn't fare any better in their subsequent 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest last Sunday, on an afternoon where my main City Ground selection landed.
A laboured 3-1-victory over Viborg in the Europa Conference League followed, highlighting the Hammers have yet to hit top gear, so an improved performance will be needed ahead of Brighton's visit this weekend.
The Seagulls managed to finish ninth in the Premier League last season, which proved to be their best-ever league finish at the elite level of English football.
Graham's Potter's side appear to have picked up where they left off this term having already toppled Manchester United in their own backyard before playing out a goalless draw with Newcastle last weekend.
Outright Betting
Despite failing to win any of their last three Premier League matches, West Ham United enter this contest as 6/5 favourites with BetVictor.
Brighton beat West Ham on the final day of last season but the same outcome on Sunday is an unfancied 11/5 (Bet 365) while the draw can be backed at a best 5/2 (Bet 365).
Betting Angles
West Ham are worthy favourites on Sunday but I suspect this match could be closer than the odds suggest, so I'll head to the Bet Builder market and merge over zero Brighton goals and Brighton with a + 1 start at 17/20 (William Hill).
As already alluded to, Brighton have made a bright start to the season and they certainly have the tools to trouble a West Ham backline that has not exactly been reliable in recent seasons.
While West Ham have routinely punched above their weight over the last few years, clean sheets remain an issue, with the Hammers leaking at least one goal in 30 of their 38 top-flight outings last term.
That defensive fragility has already shown signs of rearing its head this season, so the hosts could struggle to keep Graham Potter's Seagulls at bay.
Brighton failed to score in just four of their 19 Premier League away games last season, not to mention they avoided defeat in an eye-catching 15 of their 19 games away from their East Sussex headquarters.
With all this in mind, the aforementioned 17/20 shot with William Hill holds plenty of appeal at the London Stadium this weekend.
I'll also dip into the goalscorer markets where Brighton's Pascal Groß is perhaps worth a speculative punt at both 17/2 and 20/1 with Bet 365 to score either first or at anytime.
The German grabbed a quickfire brace at Old Trafford on the opening weekend of the season – one of which was the opening goal of the game – so both the 17/2 and 20/1 with Bet 365 on the Seagulls playmaker to strike on Sunday look worthy of interest at bold prices.
This English Premier League match between West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion will be played on Aug 21, 2022 and kick off at 14:00. Check below for our tipsters best West Ham United vs Brighton & Hove Albion prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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