With results needed and fast, Nuno Espirito Santo’s West Ham United could have done without Brighton and Hove Albion welcoming back two of their star forwards ahead of Tuesday’s Premier League clash at the London Stadium.
A potential make or break spell in the Hammers’ season started in the worst possible way two days after Christmas.
Jarrod Bowen apologised to the fans, young Ollie Scarles was in tears, and West Ham United found themselves staring unblinkingly down the barrel on a nightmare afternoon against London neighbours Fulham.
Realistically, a four-game spell against Fulham, Brighton, Wolves and Nottingham Forest – three of them on home soil – probably necessitated at least two wins. Ideally, three.
West Ham should have BEATEN Brighton last time! 😮💨
What must Nuno do to get a win tonight?
Now, a spokesman on behalf of the owners told Hammers News this week that rumours of a Harry Redknapp return are wide of the mark. Yet, the fact that such an ideal has even been floated by some reflects just how disappointing the Nuno Espirito Santo era has been.
Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton and Hove Albion’s 32-year-old head coach, has come under fire himself of late during a run of three defeats in five. But with Kaoru Mitoma and top scorer Danny Welbeck likely to return to the starting XI, a first win since November will be the target tonight.
Brighton welcome back Kaoru Mitoma and Danny Welbeck at West Ham United
Georginio Rutter scored a controversial stoppage-time equaliser when Brighton snatched a point off West Ham three weeks ago.
The aforementioned Mitoma missed that 1-1 draw at the Amex through injury, and was also unavailable for the 2-1 defeat by Arsenal last time out due to illness.
Hurzeler, though, expects to have both Mitoma and the evergreen Welbeck available from the start in the capital.
“Yeah, [Mitoma] will be back,” the former Bayern Munich youth coach said during his pre-match press conference.
“We hope [Welbeck] can start too after playing the final 15 minutes at the Emirates]. We have to see today, but I think he will be an option to start.
“No one [is a doubt]. So, we’re doing quite well. Of course, we have had some modifications during this period, like I just mentioned with Danny. Kaoru [Mitoma] had a small issue. James [Milner] couldn’t play for 90 minutes.
“So, we had to modify some players. But, overall, it seems to get better.”
Igor Julio was left out of West Ham’s squad for that Fulham defeat. He will obviously not be part of Nuno’s roster tonight either, due to the fact he is on loan at the London Stadium from Tuesday’s opponents.
Luis Guilherme is set to join Sporting Lisbon, meanwhile, for around £17.5 million. The Brazilian winger is unlikely to be included in the matchday squad either, as Niclas Fullkrug closes in on a move of his own with Italian giants AC Milan.
What CHANGES would you make to our West Ham and Brighton combined XI?
And which Brighton players would you take at the Hammers?
Brighton boss thinks West Ham should have beaten Fulham
Hurzeler insists that Brighton cannot afford to be overconfident, though, against a side who can still call upon Bowen, Lucas Paqueta, Callum Wilson, Mateus Fernandes and co.
“We felt [their ability] in the last game against them,” Hurzeler reflects, Bowen scoring with a fierce finish at the Amex following some superb Wilson hold-up play.
“They have high quality. They’re very good in transition. They’re good in set pieces. They still know how to win Premier League games, although they’re not in a great situation. But, like I just mentioned, we felt it in our home game.
“We know how difficult it is to beat them. They proved it against Fulham again. I think they deserved to win this game, and therefore we know that it will be a really tough, tough opponent. And that’s the challenge we have.
“But overall, we know what we face. We know which team we will face. And then it’s just to prepare my team for different tactical formations. But in the end, it’s about us. In the end, it’s about our intensity, our energy we bring on the pitch. In the end, it’s about our consistency.
“How consistent can we be in our action from the first second until the last second? And then we have a big chance to win this game.
“I think it’s always a difficulty to understand which formation they play,” adds the German, who is actually a year younger than Nuno’s veteran number nine. “So, in the first game, they played a back five. Before, they played several times a back four. Now again, the last games they played in a back four.
“It might be that they come in a back five. So, regarding this, we have to prepare for both. We have to prepare for a back four and a back five.”
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