Brighton facing defensive crisis for top six clash with West Ham but David Moyes has his own problems

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Brighton are facing a defensive crisis for the top six clash with West Ham but David Moyes has his own problems.

West Ham welcome Brighton to the London Stadium in the Premier League for their first game of the new year.

The Hammers ended their ridiculous Brighton hoodoo earlier this season by beating Roberto De Zerbi’s side 3-1 at the Amex.

It was a display of West Ham’s ruthless counter-attacking prowess.

Now the two sides meet again in the reverse fixture and there is everything to play for in the race for the top six.

A West Ham win would move them within three points of bitter rivals Spurs in fifth.

But perhaps more significantly it would create a five-point gap to seventh-placed Man United and a six points of breathing space on Brighton.

On the flip side, a win for the Seagulls would see them go above the Hammers into sixth.

Both managers have issues ahead of the big game, though.

Because Brighton are facing a defensive crisis for top six clash with West Ham but David Moyes has his own problems.

Brighton have confirmed they will be missing their star defender and captain Lewis Dunk through suspension.

And central defender Igor Julio is also not fit enough to play.

West Ham fans will remember muscle-bound Igor after Jarrod Bowen left him in his wake to win the Europa Conference League for the Hammers back in June.

Not only that, by one of their replacements – Adam Webster – may be forced to play despite not being fully fit having just recovered from injury.

That will come as a boost to Moyes and West Ham, who could be without four key players themselves.

Mohammed Kudus was not going to be available due to AFCON anyway – after an appeal from West Ham failed. But the Ghana star has a hamstring injury anyway.

He will be a big miss for West Ham, who could also be without talisman Lucas Paqueta (calf) and captain Kurt Zouma (knee).

Nayef Aguerd is also now unavailable due to AFCON but may well have played his last game for West Ham anyway.

The absentee list should both cancel one another out for Brighton and West Ham.

Now it comes down to which side’s back-up players rise to the occasion best.

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