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Our live coverage of today's match comes to an end as the spoils are shared between West Ham and Brighton in a 0-0 draw.
Thank you for joining me, Jack Patmore, and I’ll hopefully see you again soon here on VAVEL!
Official highlights
Re-live the action from today’s 0-0 draw by watching the official highlights.
Fan reaction
This Brighton fan was pleased with their display, bearing in mind the injury problems heading into the game.
Good result in the circumstances of our current squad. Proof there’s work to be done in this January window.
— Ryan (@ryanadsett) January 2, 2024
It’s a tough period, as RDZ has shared with us in recent pressers.
Player of the match – Edson Álvarez
The Mexican international made several vital tackles in the first half and kept the Hammers in the game at times.
He is vital to West Ham’s play which is emphasised as when he was absent for their trip to Fulham a few weeks ago, they fell to a 5-0 defeat.
Álvarez has been an excellent replacement for Declan Rice and shone in defensive midfield for West Ham this evening.
Match summary
Both halves saw few chances for both teams with West Ham and Brighton missing some key players who were absent due to injury.
The Seagulls had a handful of good openings to take the three points in the second half courtesy of Moder and Ferguson.
David Moyes’ side missed Kudus and Paqueta in their attack as they offered very little in the final third.
Both teams had to settle for a point in their opening game of 2024.
90+5: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
The points are shared in a 0-0 draw between West Ham and Brighton.
90: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
There will be a minimum of five added minutes at the end of the second half.
88: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Areola makes a good stop to prevent Lallana from giving the away side the lead with his strike from just outside the box.
85: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Moder gets on the end of Milner's deflected cross but he fires over from close range.
82: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Moder puts in an inviting cross but no Brighton player can get on the end of it.
77: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Milner's delivery falls to the head of Groß but he can't get enough power on the ball to direct it towards goal.
74: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Two changes for the Seagulls
ON: Lallana, Moder
OFF: Buonanotte, Webster
72: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
West Ham make their first change
ON: Mubama
OFF: Benrahma
70: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Ward-Prowse's delivery from deep fall to Johnson but his cross cannot find a player in claret to poke home.
68: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Ferguson goes close to making an instant impact for the visitors.
The Irishman creates space on the edge of the box and he gets his shot away but doesn't find the target.
66: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
A first change of the evening for Brighton.
ON: Ferguson
OFF: Welbeck
60: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Benrahma's delivery is deflected into the path of Souček but he cannot test Steele in the Brighton goal.
58: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Pedro goes close to giving the Seagulls the advantage as he goes on a mazy run around a few West Ham players but he cannot apply the finish to match.
58: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Fornals' rifled strike from distance is easily saved by Steele.
53: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Pedro and Buonanotte link-up to good effect for the visitors and the ball falls to Welbeck whose strike is parried away by Areola.
45: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
We are back underway for the second half!
Follow live updates here on VAVEL as well as post-match reaction.
First half action
Here are some images from the first half where Brighton have dominated the majority of the possession.
Half-time: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Nothing separates West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion at the break.
The visitors have dominated the majority of the possession and had their best chance through Pascal Groß at the end of the first half.
West Ham have had a few chances of their own, most notably through Ward-Prowse’s strike just before the half-hour mark.
Who will get the first goal?
45: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
There will be a minimum of one added minute at the end of the first half.
41: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton have the best chance of the game so far as Milner's delivery falls perfectly for Groß but he heads straight at Areola.
34: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Benrahma gets past Webster and the Algerian's curling strike from distance narrowly evades the target.
31: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
The ball falls to Hinshelwood in the box from Welbeck's knock-down but he cannot beat Areola.
27: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Benrahma's cross is cleared away by van Hecke but only into the path of Ward-Prowse and his ferocious strike tests the reflexes of Steele.
25: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
West Ham go close to taking first blood!
Souček threads the ball through to Bowen and his driven strike is tipped onto the post by Steele but the in-form forward is offside.
22: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton have their first sight of goal as Buonanotte's strike from just outside the box deflects off of Ogbonna but Areola is on hand to save.
12: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Bowen is sent through on the left by Álvarez but his cross goes straight into the hands of Steele.
8: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton are dominating the majority of the possession in the opening exchanges but are yet to test Areola in the West Ham goal.
1: West Ham United 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
The first half is underway in East London!
Follow live updates here on VAVEL as well as post-match reaction.
What's on the line tonight?
The hosts could close the gap to fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur to three points with a win tonight.
A win for Brighton would see them overtake West Ham into sixth place.
Kick-off fast approaching
We are now less than ten minutes until kick-off at the London Stadium now.
Warm-ups are complete and the players are ready.
Warm-ups underway
Both teams are out to get warm ahead of this evening's clash.
James Milner on appearance milestone
James Milner is set to go level with Ryan Giggs on 632 Premier League appearances this evening.
The 37-year-old previews tonight's clash and expresses his pride in reaching this milestone.
.@JamesMilner previews #WHUBHA as he prepares to go level with Ryan Giggs on 632 @PremierLeague appearances. 👏 pic.twitter.com/1yxL146Jp4
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 2, 2024
Vladimír Coufal absence explained
Vladimír Coufal has posted on Instagram explaining his absence.
NEW: Vladimir Coufal on instagram. pic.twitter.com/42kJdBKeD5
— West Ham (C)entral 🏆 (@WestHam_Central) January 2, 2024
Pre-match statistics
West Ham have conceded at least once in all 13 Premier League meetings with Brighton.
Brighton haven't lost their last six away league games against the Hammers.
Brighton have scored five more than West Ham in the Premier League this term with 38, while the Hammers have 33 to their name.
West Ham United fan view
Like the Brighton & Hove Albion fan, one West Ham United supporter is also not feeling confident heading into this one.
Hmmmmm. Not at all confident with that back line and wingers. Fingers crossed! #whufc https://t.co/qAVEHz7ZDZ
— James Maker (@james_maker) January 2, 2024
Brighton & Hove Albion fan view
One Brighton & Hove Albion fan has had his say on today's starting XI and is not feeling confident, despite the return of Adam Webster and Pervis Estupiñán.
Most apprehensive I’ve been for a game https://t.co/erjsAT2GGx
— Ryan (@ryanadsett) January 2, 2024
Brighton & Hove Albion team news is in!
Roberto De Zerbi has made two changes for his first outing in 2024.
Adam Webster returns and takes the place of Lewis Dunk while Igor is replaced by Pervis Estupiñán.
TEAM NEWS! 🚨 Here's our starting XI to take on @WestHam in the #PL tonight. 👊
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 2, 2024
📲 https://t.co/S3j1TIeLz3 // #BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/8bt0ksBWyr
West Ham United team news is in!
The Hammers make three changes from Thursday's 2-0 win at Arsenal.
As expected, they are without Mohammed Kudus who is representing Ghana at AFCON and is replaced by Pablo Fornals.
Ben Johnson replaces Vladimír Coufal at right-back and Saïd Benrahma takes the place of Lucas Paquetá who is out due to a hamstring problem.
Our first XI of 2024 ⚒️ pic.twitter.com/qnn2HpHZwk
— West Ham United (@WestHam) January 2, 2024
Arrivals
The Seagulls have arrived in East London.
Good evening, Albion! 🫡 #WHUBHA ⏳ pic.twitter.com/afXEQYAtdb
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 2, 2024
Team news to be announced shortly
Team news should be with us in just over 20 minutes and we will bring it to you as soon as we have it so stay tuned!
Tune into West Ham United vs Brighton & Hove Albion
That brings an end to our pre-live coverage but we will be back with all the updates ahead of kick-off.
Do not miss a detail of this game with live updates and commentaries on VAVEL.
What time does the game kick-off across the world?
India: 1:00 AM
South Africa: 9:30 PM
Australia (Sydney): 6:30 AM
Japan: 4:30 AM
USA (New York): 2:30 PM
Kick-off time and how to watch
The game is set to kick-off at 19:30 GMT. UK viewers can watch the game live on Sky Sports Premier League with coverage starting at 19:00.
Otherwise, you can rely on us here at VAVEL to keep you updated throughout the match and bring you post-match reaction too.
West Ham United vs Brighton & Hove Albion prediction
With the number of absentees expected for the Hammers due to AFCON involvement, Brighton will be confident they can make it two wins from two in the Premier League.
However, the Seagulls have injury concerns and West Ham are on a good run of form of late as they look to maintain their chances of finishing in a European spot.
I am going for a 2-2 draw!
Recent meetings between the two
West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion met in August at the Amex Stadium as the Hammers ran out as surprise 3-0 winners. James Ward-Prowse, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio with the goals as Moyes’ side momentarily climbed to the top of the Premier League table.
Last season, the Seagulls secured wins in both meetings – winning 2-0 and 4-0.
Key player from Brighton & Hove Albion
Like West Ham, the man to look out for is in the forward line and it is Brighton’s Brazilian sensation João Pedro.
A summer arrival for £30m from Sky Bet Championship side Watford, Pedro has become a regular feature in Roberto De Zerbi’s side having netted six goals in six UEFA Europa League appearances this term.
He has also been in excellent form in the Premier League with seven goals and two assists to his name in 19 appearances.
Eyebrows were raised in the summer when Brighton broke their transfer record to bring in the 22-year-old but he has proved those doubters wrong with an impressive start to life in Sussex.
Key player from West Ham United
With the expected absence of Mohammed Kudus and potentially Lucas Paquetá, West Ham United will be relying on Jarrod Bowen to lead the attack.
Playing as a striker instead of his favored right-wing position this season, the England international is on fire and has scored on 11 occasions and assisted two in his 19 Premier League appearances.
The 27-year-old has netted in three of his last four outings which also included an assist for Tomáš Souček’s opener against Arsenal.
Bowen is in the form of his life having only contributed to 11 Premier League goals last term and he is the one to watch tonight for the hosts.
Team news and likely line-up for Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton have more injury problems to deal with compared to West Ham.
Solly March and Joel Veltman have knee problems while Tariq Lamptey and Barcelona loanee Ansu Fati have thigh injuries.
Julio Enciso could recover in time to feature following a knee problem and the same applies to Karou Mitoma who has been absent with a foot injury.
Likely line-up: Verbruggen; Milner, Hinshelwood, Van Hecke, Estupinan; Gross, Gilmour, Baleba; Lallana; Ferguson, Pedro
Team news and likely line-up for West Ham United
The Hammers could be without Nayef Aguerd who missed the win at Arsenal due to illness.
In his press conference on Friday, Moyes admitted Kurt Zouma ‘rocked his knee a little bit’ so may be absent.
Lucas Paquetá had to be substituted in the first half of the Arsenal game due to a hamstring problem and West Ham are awaiting the results of a scan.
The biggest blow is that Mohammed Kudus will be absent due to his involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Ghana. The 23-year-old has made an instant impact in East London having netted six goals and registered one assist in 16 Premier League appearances.
Michail Antonio remains on the sidelines with medial knee ligament damage.
Likely line-up: Areola; Coufal, Mavropanos, Zouma, Emerson; Ward-Prowse, Alvarez, Soucek; Fornals, Bowen, Benrahma
Who is the referee and his assistants?
The referee for West Ham United against Brighton & Hove Albion will be Sam Barrott.
He will be assisted by Marc Perry and Nick Hopton with John Brooks being the fourth official.
Rob Jones is the VAR and his assistant is Tim Wood.
Brighton & Hove Albion: Eager to build upon Tottenham Hotspur victory
The Sussex-based outfit come into tonight’s meeting following a superb 4-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur where four goals from Jack Hinshelwood, Pervis Estupinan and a Joao Pedro brace sealed a much-needed victory.
Before their win over Spurs, Brighton were winless in their last three games which included a defeat to Arsenal as well as draws to Crystal Palace and Burnley.
A win could see the Seagulls overtake West Ham into sixth place.
West Ham United: Looking to make it four wins in a row
David Moyes’ side have been in an excellent run of form of late in the Premier League, culminating with a 2-0 win at title-chasing Arsenal on Thursday. Tomáš Souček and Konstantinos Mavropanos were on the scoresheet as the Hammers climbed up to sixth place.
Wins over Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers came before the victory at the Emirates Stadium but there have been some concerns about performances this season, most notably the 5-0 defeat at Fulham.
Nevertheless, West Ham could close the gap to fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur to three points with a win tonight.
The match will be played at the London Stadium
Today's game between West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion will be played at the London Stadium, in London, England. The game is set to get underway at 19:30 GMT.
Welcome to VAVEL.com’s LIVE coverage of this Premier League clash between West Ham United and Brighton & Albion!
My name is Jack Patmore and I will be your host for today’s game. We will provide you with pre-game analysis, score updates and news as it happens live here on VAVEL as two European-chasing sides lock horns at the London Stadium.