The last few months have been up and down in east London. From the ecstasy of winning their first major trophy since 1980, to losing their best player and club captain, to now having an excellent start to the Premier League season.
With some new signings on board, and being in good form, the Hammers will be full of confidence. However, much to West Ham’s dismay, Brighton are their definition of a ‘bogey team’.
In 12 attempts, the east London side have never managed to triumph over the Seagulls in the Premier League and it certainly won’t be any easier this time around.
Brighton head into the fixture with two 4-1 wins under their belt, while the Hammers are still gleaming after beating Chelsea 3-1 in an enthralling London derby.
New faces
David Moyes started off by speaking about the arrival of Konstantinos Mavropanos.
“He is not fit at the moment,” the Scotsman confessed.
“He had a couple of injuries when he came in which slowed things down a bit. We don’t want to put a time on it, but we don’t think it is too serious.
“But we are really pleased to get him. We were looking to add in that area, as we had a couple of problems last season. We played the first few games without any recognisable centre-half. We needed extra cover and we have got it.”
Moyes will be disappointed by the fact his new signing can’t play, but what makes it worse is that Nayef Aguerd saw red in the last match meaning he will be unavailable for the trip to Brighton.
The Hammers have brought in some smart signings this summer, with the likes of James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez both being great additions to the midfield, and they do not seem to be done with the incomings just yet. The club is extremely close to signing Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus for a reported fee in the region of £40 million.
However, as per usual, the Scotsman was reluctant to give any information away on further incomings.
“We will look and see what we can get. The club are working really hard and are being really supportive in trying to add to the squad that we have. We are hoping we can bring a few different players in but there is no guarantee.
“I said last week that I do believe by the end of the window we’ll have added a couple of players and I still believe that. But let’s see.”
Unforgettable London derby
The Iron’s manager couldn’t have been happier with how his team performed last time out.
“It was an unbelievable result on Sunday. To play Chelsea with eleven men for 90 minutes is really difficult, but to play them for 40 with ten, and to get a result was incredible. It’s a great, great result for us.”
One Player that stood out against the Blues was Ward-Prowse. He managed to get two assists on his debut and his experience in the Premier League was key in Moyes bringing him to east London.
“I think getting boys that are ready for the Premier League, and know what the league is about already, makes a big difference as you are not worried about players settling in.”
Breaking the curse
As previously mentioned, West Ham have never beaten Brighton in the Premier League and, with the home side being arguably the best they have ever been, it’s vital that West Ham find a way to finally conquer the Sussex side.
“We are playing a team that we have found it really hard to beat over the last few seasons,” Moyes said.
“It has been a bit of a bugbear that we have not been able to beat them.
“We go there in good spirits, but they have won their first two matches by three goals or four goals in each game just about. So, they are in really good form, and we have to play extremely well to get a result.”
"There is a first for everything so let’s hope this is the one," he added
“They’re difficult opponents and they are arguably as difficult as they have ever been. They are showing that by their league position. But I am looking forward to it. We have had a great start and it gives us flexibility and the ability to change things to try and have a go at Brighton and beat them.”
A Veteran manager like Moyes knows how hard it can be to break bad records, but he believes that his side certainly have the ability to pick up all three points on the south coast.
“We are in a good position, and we have a bit of a chance to see if we can go and beat Brighton.”