Brighton & Hove Albion v West Ham United
Premier League, American Express Community Stadium, Saturday 26 August 2023, 5.30pm BST
West Ham United’s 2023/24 Premier League campaign continues with a trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
The Irons have started the season in good form, claiming four points from the opening two league matches thanks to a 1-1 draw away to AFC Bournemouth and a hard-fought 3-1 win against Chelsea on Sunday.
Brighton, meanwhile, are the early leaders in the Premier League table thanks to a pair of 4-1 wins; an immense start following their best-ever top flight campaign in 2023/23, one that saw the Seagulls secure their highest points tally and, like the Hammers, qualify for the UEFA Europa League.
Tickets…
Our allocation of 3,000 tickets for our Premier League game at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday 26 August has sold out.
The first 90 per cent of tickets for this match sold out to Bondholders and Season Ticket Holders with 19+ Loyalty Points. The remaining 10 per cent (300 tickets) were then made available via a ballot open to Season Ticket Holders who had yet to purchase for this fixture. The ballot closed at 12pm on Tuesday 8 August.
Travel…
Normally, the Amex Stadium is easily reachable by public transport, as it is just two minutes’ walk from Falmer station, itself a nine-minute train ride from Brighton station.
However, supporters are advised that Southern Railway is operating a limited service on Saturday 26 August due to industrial action, and should make alternative arrangements after the match if at all possible.
A later start and earlier finish are in place, while some routes will not be served at all, so fans who do plan to return to London by train after the final whistle are urged to return to Brighton station promptly.
Trains usually depart regularly from both London Bridge and London Victoria, with a journey time of around an hour to Brighton, but supporters should carefully check their intended route before travelling for the fixture.
Train and bus travel within the local area is free of charge to ticket holders on matchday.
Click here to plan your journey on the Transport for London network, or here for National Rail services.
If you would like to drive, Brighton has excellent car parking facilities available to both home and away supporters at two park and ride sites at Mill Road (postcode BN1 8ZF) and Brighton Racecourse (BN2 9XZ).
Alternatively, parking is available at three car parks near the stadium. Spaces must be pre-booked in advance of the match, priced £15 per car. For details, visit the link here.
Free motorbike parking is available on-site at the Amex Stadium.
How To Follow…
Saturday's Premier League game will be broadcast live on television in the UK by Sky Sports and will be shown across the world by the Premier League's international broadcast partners.
You can listen to commentary in the UK on talkSPORT, BBC Radio London 94.9FM and worldwide on whufc.com and our official app.
You can also follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app and across our social media channels. We will also have highlights and exclusive reaction for you after the final whistle.
Team News…
Having secured a 3-1 victory in Sunday’s Premier League clash with Chelsea, manager David Moyes may opt to keep faith with the same starting XI.
James Ward-Prowse impressed on his first outing in Claret and Blue, while Edson Álvarez also made an immediate impact from the bench last weekend.
Adam Lallana and Adam Webster both returned from minor absences for Brighton in their 4-1 win away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, and both could be in line to feature against the Hammers.
Jakub Moder, meanwhile, has been out of action since April 2022 with a serious injury, and is not expected to be involved this weekend.
Opposition…
Like West Ham United fans, Brighton supporters are eagerly awaiting Friday 1 September.
Both sides will compete in the UEFA Europa League group stages over the coming months but, while the Irons are preparing for a third success campaign on the European stage, the Seagulls are set for a first-ever year in a European competition.
It was fully deserved for a Brighton team that finished sixth in the Premier League last season, their highest-ever place in the English top flight. Two wins in their opening two matches this campaign – both by a 4-1 score-line – suggest another impressive year is on the cards for the south coast side.
Many pundits did not predict such success after Graham Potter departed to Chelsea just a few weeks into the 2022/23 season. But Brighton swiftly replaced the outgoing manager with former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk boss Roberto De Zerbi, and the Italian not only maintained the high standards, but he also surpassed them.
Brighton’s eye-catching, exhilarating football has led to De Zerbi reportedly being coveted by some of Europe’s leading times. For now though, the 44-year-old is settled at the Amex Stadium. When the day comes that he does depart, one would not be surprised to see Brighton continue their high trajectory.
Even after a summer that saw Moises Caicedo depart, again for Chelsea, for a reported English transfer record fee, and Alexis Mac Allister move to Liverpool, the Seagulls have not panicked and maintain the philosophy that led to such high praise.
Additions like João Pedro and Bart Verbruggen are already looking like smart signings, while the free signings of James Milner and Mo Daboud look like shrewd acquisitions. With exciting youngsters like Evan Ferguson and Julio Enciso only getting better, and Kaoru Mitoma firing on all cylinders, the future looks bright for Brighton.
Previous Meetings…
We have been to the Amex Stadium seven times previously, once in the EFL Championship and six times in the Premier League.
The first visit, on 24 October 2011, ended in a 1-0 victory courtesy of Kevin Nolan’s opportunistic winning goal.
Since then, however, we have yet to win at the Amex in any of our Premier League trips there, losing twice before drawing 1-1 in both 2019/20 and 2020/21 courtesy of goals from Chicharito and Saïd Benrahma respectively.
Our two most recent visits have ended in defeat – 3-1 on the final day of the 2021/22 season and 4-0 last term.
Match Officials…
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Assistants: Gary Beswick & Adam Nunn
Fourth official: Sam Allison
VAR: David Coote
Assistant VAR: Adrian Holmes
Anthony Taylor will referee West Ham United’s Premier League match away to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday evening.
The 44-year-old from Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, will take charge of proceedings at the American Express Community Stadium this weekend, having refereed Chelsea’s home draw with Liverpool on the opening day of the season and Aston Villa’s 4-0 win against Everton on Sunday.
Click here for more information about this weekend's match officials.
