Match preview: West Ham vs Brighton, 2:30 AM, December 31st: A fine line.

VHO - Match preview: West Ham vs Brighton, Premier League Round 19. Although West Ham are considered the favorites, it won't be easy for the visitors to leave with all three points.

West Ham vs Brighton form

Since the start of the season, West Ham fans haven't had much time to enjoy themselves. They've constantly been on edge, watching their beloved team frequently find themselves in the relegation zone.

New manager Nuno Santo arrived with high expectations, especially after the Portuguese coach's impressive performance at Nottingham Forest last season. However, in his new environment and with new players, the 51-year-old strategist has yet to make a significant impact.

At one point before matchday 13, thanks to earning 7 points from 3 games, West Ham had risen to 17th place, escaping the relegation zone. However, the unexpected strong rise of newly promoted Leeds United has forced The Hammers back to their familiar "pigsty".

In their last seven matches, West Ham have failed to taste victory. Their slow progress has pushed the London club further away from safety. Currently, West Ham sit 18th and are five points behind Nottingham, who are just above them in the table.

The gap is less than two wins, but considering they are at the bottom of the table, where teams often struggle to earn even the smallest points, it's still a significant difference. What will West Ham have to do to move up the table when they're not even making good use of their home advantage?

After nine home games this season, The Hammers have only won two and lost seven. Unsurprisingly, The Hammers have the second-worst home record in the league (6 points, 10 goals scored and 21 goals conceded), only slightly better than bottom-placed Wolves.

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Brighton won't find it easy to leave London with three points.

The home team's poor performance has given Brighton hope of earning points. The visitors have just gone through two unsuccessful away trips, which is understandable given the tough matches they had to play at Anfield and Emirates.

Overall, Seagulls' recent form hasn't been very good. In their last five matches, Fabian Hurzeler's team only managed to earn two points from two draws and three losses.

Due to their poor form, Brighton have dropped to 13th place. However, with only about 5 points separating them from the European qualification spots, Danny Welbeck and his teammates still have a good chance of securing a place in European competition.

For now, returning to the top half of the table will be the priority for coach Hurzeler and his team. Leaving London with a winning smile would bring the visitors closer to that goal.

West Ham vs Brighton team news

West Ham: Only Niclas Fullkrug and Lukasz Fabianski are currently recovering from injuries. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Diouf are busy participating in AFCON.

Brighton: Adam Webster and Carlos Baleba are absent for various reasons.

Predicted lineups for West Ham vs Brighton

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West Ham: Areola; Walker-Peters, Todibo, Kilman, Scarles; Soucek, Potts, M. Fernandes; Paqueta, Summerville; Bowen

Brighton: Verbruggen; Coppola, Van Hecke, Dunk; Kadioglu, Ayari, Hinshelwood, De Cuyper; Minteh, Welbeck, Gomez

Prediction: 1-1

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