When West Ham United plays Brighton on Tuesday, January 2, Chris Sutton believes the team will make it four straight wins in the Premier League.
PHOTO:David Moyes
When the Seagulls visit the London Stadium, the BBC Sport analyst thinks David Moyes’ team will build on their victories over Wolves, Manchester United, and Arsenal. He feels the Irons’ strategies will annoy the Seagulls, and he predicts a 2-1 victory.
PHOTO:Mohammed Kudus
“West Ham sucker-punched Arsenal on Thursday, as they so often do against teams who really come on to them,” the blogger wrote in his BBC Sport Premier League predictions on December 29. “They did the same thing against Tottenham at the start of December, and it was the same story when they beat Brighton at the beginning of the season.
“After defeating Spurs, the Seagulls will feel confident about avenging that loss, but you can be sure the Hammers will be content to wait around and annoy them.
“Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus are crucial to West Ham’s ability to strike opponents on the break, and I see them being crucial players here as well.
The victory over Arsenal on Thursday, December 28, was nearly the epitome of a West Ham performance under manager David Moyes, as the Hammers withstood the Gunners’ pressure before catching them off guard during the assault.
As Sutton mentioned, the Irons have the offensive skill to harm opponents on the break, and Premier League defenses will be concerned about facing players like Kudus and Bowen. At the London Stadium, Robert De Zerbi’s Brighton won’t be any different.
To prevent them from attacking, Moyes’ team will need to play their best defense against the Seagulls, who have a number of dangerous players of their own. Brighton destroyed Spurs the previous time they played, and they will take advantage of whatever space the Hammers let them.
West Ham’s chances of qualifying for Europe this season will be greatly enhanced if they can begin 2024 with three points. They can defeat some of the strongest and most formidable clubs in the Premier League, as they have done in recent weeks.
