West Ham United have a relatively easy task when they take on Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend. Slaven Bilic’s side have put a brake to their early difficulties and have been very encouraging with their displays recently.
Brighton have barely created problems this season so the Hammers should see out the match with ease given the quality available at Bilic’s disposal at this moment.
A single loss in the last five matches would go down as an excellent comeback from what was a miserable start from the Hammers. three back to back losses had taken them back in this competitive league but they have now steadied the ship with some consistent performances in the last few matches.
The Hammers are lingering in the points table in the 15th position and a win in this match will help them to reduce the gap with the top half of the table.
Predicted 4-4-2 West Ham United Starting Lineup Against Brighton & Hove Albion
Defence
Joe Hart needs a good performance to boost his confidence and this could be the match. The Seagulls don’t have the brightest attacks and a strong display in this match would set the tone for the rest of the season.
Winston Reid has arguably been the best defender for the Hammers and will start against struggling Seagulls. bJose Fonte will be hoping to give a good account of himself in a bid to cement his place in the starting lineup.
Aaron Creswell has grown stronger with each match and is likely to start in the left back slot. Pablo Zabaleta has been the stand out performer for the Hammers and will try to continue with his doings on the right side.
Midfield
Bilic is likely to field a four-man midfield in a bid to overrun the Brighton side. Cheikhou Kouyaté will be in his usual anchorman role and will have to keep things tight in the middle of the pitch.
Manuel Lanzini will be the creative force in the midfield and is likely to take a much-advanced position in the midfield.
Attack
Marko Arnautovic hasn’t been able to justify his price tag and would be looking to put an end to all the criticism with an emphatic display.
Michail Antonio is yet to hit the form and will be on the right flank.
Andy Carroll got the marching order in the last match so Javier Hernandez and Diafra Sakho will share the attacking responsibility. Here is how they might line up:
