West Ham United

We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's Premier League game between West Ham United and Brighton.

Here are some of your comments:

West Ham fans

John: A crazy first half and nobody knew what decision the referee was going make next. At least we started with a striker this time. Unfortunately when Callum Wilson went off we struggled, the bench didn't have any quality to really make an impact. At least we didn't lose. Poor Nuno has a mountain to climb with this rabble of a club.

David: No question we're a better team with Nuno. We could have easily won the Fulham game as well as this one, but for a couple of defensive lapses and some bad luck. If we can get a forward and a centre-back in the transfer window, there's still a chance.

Joe: We truly are our own worst enemy. It's either terrible management by the board or awful on field decisions. Jarrod Bowen is a true Hammer but the rest look uninterested in what happens to the club. Another nail in the relegation coffin, I'm afraid.

Ray: I was OK with the starting line-up and it was great to see Callum Wilson starting and playing with a striker for change. But as soon as Nuno started making changes, especially pulling off Wilson, it all went downhill. Nuno has got to go.

Brighton fans

Rob: How different it looked when Kaoru Mitoma came on. The team has clearly been missing his ability to take on players and create chances from the wing. Time to give Tom Watson a start to show what he can contribute.

Tim: A chaotically entertaining game of very little quality but plenty of commitment and drama. Neither team could defend or gain any sort of control in the game. A draw was probably the right result despite the dubious VAR call for the Lewis Dunk 'handball'. Good to see Joel Veltman back - the only calm head in the Albion team.

David: Good first 10 minutes of attacking play meant we could have been two up but then we conceded a goal and the old mentality returned. We forget going forward, instead backwards and sideways passing prevails which get us nowhere. Forget Europe, concentrate on avoiding relegation, which is where we are heading unless there is a permanent change of attitude or maybe management.

Graham: Bad team selection, slow in making substitutes, lack of motivation and young players not being given a chance. Bye bye, Fabian Hurzeler.

Juventus are interested in West Ham's 31-year-old Argentina midfielder Guido Rodriguez. (Sky in Italy), external

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West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo to BBC Match of the Day: "A lot of things happening in the game, the first half was confusing for the players and everyone in the stadium.

"First half was better, we contained, dominated, created a lot of chances. Second half we started well, controlling well with good combinations, but after conceding we went through some troubles, especially when Brighton brought on Mitoma and Rutter, fresh players with such quality.

"After that we were trying to hold on with the young boys. I'm really pleased with what they gave to the team and squad, but we didn't have many situations from which we could counter-attack from. Overall it was an intense game, both teams went to their limits.

"The referees must speak with the players, explain to them what is contact, which is excessive, which is foul, because we se so many things in the box now it can be confusing. Sometimes they whistle, sometimes they ignore it.

On the performance of Ollie Scarles after his mistake against Fulham on Saturday: "It's fantastic to bounce back really well, he knows he has our support and confidence. I'm delighted the fans appreciated it because mistakes are part of the game."

Alex Brotherton
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

After conceding a late winner to Fulham on Saturday, West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo said that everything was going against his side.

He might well be feeling the same three days later, even if the Hammers' misfortune was self-inflicted in their 2-2 draw with Brighton.

Jarrod Bowen's cool finish against the run of play could have been a launchpad - and drew him level with Michail Antonio for the most combined Premier League goals and assists for the club with 101 each.

Instead, Max Kilman conceded a penalty with a desperate last-ditch lunge, before Lucas Paqueta produced a tackle that would not look out of place in the NFL.

The Hammers were fortunate to only be punished once, but lady luck did take kindly to Alphonse Areola flapping at a corner 16 minutes into the second half.

There are certainly positives to take - Callum Wilson and Bowen linked up well in attack, while 20-year-old left-back Ollie Scarles looked solid after his costly mistake against Fulham three days ago.

But with 17th-placed Nottingham Forest losing at home to Everton, this was a chance missed to move within two points of safety.

West Ham must cut out their defensive lapses before it is too late.

Report here.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on West Ham's performance

What did you make of Brighton's display?

Come back on Wednesday for a selection of your replies

Nuno Espirito Santo makes just the one change to the West Ham side that lost 1-0 to Fulham on Saturday, with Callum Wilson replacing Crysencio Summerville in attack.

West Ham XI: Areola, Walker-Peters, Todibo, Kilman, Scarles, Magassa, Potts, Fernandes, Paqueta, Wilson, Bowen.

Subs: Hermansen, Summerville, Mavropanos, Rodriguez, Soucek, Earthy, Kante, Golambeckis, Mayers.

Fabian Hurzeler makes four changes following Brighton's 2-1 defeat to Premier League leaders Arsenal at the weekend.

Joel Veltman, Yankuba Minteh, Danny Welbeck and James Milner all come in, with Diego Coppola, Jack Hinshelwood, Brajan Gruda and Georginio Rutter dropping to the bench.

Milner, who turns 40 next week, is making his second Premier League start of the season.

Kaoru Mitoma missed Saturday's game to Arsenal through illness but is fit enough to start on the bench. Solly March is not quite ready to return from a knee injury.

Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Dunk, Van Hecke, Veltman, Kadioglu, Ayari, Milner, De Cuyper, Minteh, Gomez, Welbeck.

Subs: Steele, Gruda, Rutter, Hinshelwood, Watson, Boscagli, Mitoma, Coppola, Kostoulas.

Holly Turbutt
Fan contributor

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham find ourselves sitting firmly in the relegation zone with a growing gap separating us and the rest of the league. The question is: have years of poor strategy caught up with us?

There has been growing despair surrounding West Ham's ownership, with everything going noticeably downhill since our Conference League win.

Yes, there was already a definite lack of structured investment at the club, but we had the opportunity to push on from our European success. However, a scattergun approach has seen us waste our money on signings.

Niclas Fullkrug and Luis Guilherme are the perfect examples of how we have not been able to follow through on initial plans.

The pair were bought as part of then-technical director Tim Steidten's strategy, but having paid £27m for Fullkrug and recently loaning him to AC Milan, as well as signing Guilherme for £25.5m and not featuring him in our past five squads, it is clear these signings have been errors in judgement.

They have cost us more than £50m with next to no return on investment, but are not the only players where we have made wrong decisions.

While we do have a depleted squad, our defence is one of the worst I can remember and boasts only one clean sheet this season. That came against Nottingham Forest, who were ironically managed by Nuno Espirito Santo at the time.

Fans' frustration continues to grow as points are repeatedly dropped at the end of games, many of which have come about simply from switching off and failing to do the basics. These fine margins have cost us greatly, despite performances looking somewhat better under Nuno.

Understandably, our form has put a question mark over Nuno's future at the club, but personally, I feel that changing head coach would achieve very little. Despite Jarrod Bowen doing his best, we appear to have no clear leaders, alongside limited options on the bench and very little visible fight to turn our luck around.

Now more than ever, we are relying on players to make something special happen against the odds - and for the owners to invest in ways that will save our season.

Find more from Holly Turbutt at West Ham Network, external

Sophie Brown
BBC Sport journalist

West Ham are bidding for a rare home win when they host Brighton, who are hoping to end their head coach's December hoodoo.

Few home comforts for Hammers

Even with a win on Tuesday, West Ham are guaranteed to reach the halfway point of the season in the relegation zone, where they have lingered for much of the campaign.

The Hammers have claimed just 13 points so far, their fewest at this stage of a league season since 2010-11, when they also had 13 points and went on to finish bottom of the top flight.

Defeat in their final game of 2025 would be a club record 12th at home in a calendar year and would cement 12 months of wretched form at London Stadium, where home fans did not see a win from the end of February to the beginning of November.

This time last year, West Ham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo was overseeing a 10th league win for Nottingham Forest, who began 2025 in second place. That must feel a long time ago for Nuno, whose Hammers' side have won three times this season and now face a real battle to avoid relegation.

In the course of steering Forest into Europe for the first time in 30 years, Nuno's side registered a famous 7-0 home win over Tuesday's opponents Brighton.

Given West Ham have scored just 10 goals in total in their nine Premier League home games this season, a repeat of that scoreline seems unlikely. But beleaguered Hammers fans would settle for any sort of a win that would give them some hope going into the new year.

Brighton have never lost a Premier League match at West Ham (W2, D6) but the time as well as the place might be problematic on Tuesday, as Fabian Hurzeler is yet to see his side win in December, a run that has now stretched to 11 matches.

The Seagulls were in the top five going into this month but three defeats and two draws have seen them slip into the bottom half of the table.

Brighton were a David Raya fingertip away from earning a draw at Arsenal, having come alive in the second half after being dominated in the opening 45 minutes.

Slow starts away from home are something that have dogged the Seagulls this season. They have a gone a goal down within 25 minutes of seven of their nine Premier League games on the road, with five of those ending in defeat.

On top of this, Brighton have only won their final league game in one of the past five calendar years (D2, L2). A more solid start against a struggling side could see them end 2025 on a high – and an end to Hurzeler's December curse.

Things are turning uglier by the week for West Ham. They are in a real relegation battle now, and their boss Nuno Espirito Santo is absolutely desperate for a win, but it is hard to see where it will come from.

Brighton are inconsistent but they have shown their quality by pushing Liverpool and Arsenal close in recent weeks.

I don't see anything other than a Seagulls victory here.

The Hammers are so low on confidence that, even if this is a tight game, you get the feeling they will lose it like they did against Fulham on Saturday.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

Nuno Espirito Santo says he is looking to "rebalance" his squad in January as the Hammers sit in the relegation zone, five points adrift of safety, following Saturday's 1-0 home defeat by Fulham.

"[January] is very important," Nuno said ahead of Tuesday's visit to Brighton. "We need to rebalance our squad. There are positions where we need to have more options."

"Now it's time to focus on Brighton. After that the club is working and the transfer window is open, we'll make decisions."

West Ham are targeting a striker to replace AC Milan-bound Niclas Fullkrug, while midfielder James Ward-Prowse is set to leave.

"We have options, decisions that we have to make, and to manage the playersas best as we can all the players," Nuno said.

West Ham came close to beating Brighton three weeks ago but conceded a controversial last-gasp Georginio Rutter equaliser.

"It was a good game," he said. "Like Saturday, it went away from us in the final moments of the game. Brighton is a good team, so we have to get ready."

Asked why his current team have been unable to replicate that level of defensive resilience as last year, Nuno simply said: "Everything is different. We cannot expect things to happen the same way, because we are different."

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between West Ham and Fulham.

Here are some of your comments:

West Ham fans

Peter: Ollie Scarles is a kid and we all make mistakes as we move forward. Who was marking Raul Jimenez? Who couldn't stick the ball in the net? Players with years of experience. Who facilitated the buying of this bunch of no-hopers? Are you reading this, David Sullivan and Karren Brady?

Mo: The manager is not brave enough with his substitutions. He waits for the opposition to make changes. This game was crying out for Callum Wilson, Tomas Soucek and Konstantinos Mavrapanos in place of Lucas Paqueta, Scarles, and Soungoutou Magassa.

David: This is all down to the ownership. We have had a succession of managers who, while not being Pep Guardiola or Mikel Arteta, are more than capable of getting us to mid-table. Poor transfer choices and the move to that ridiculous stadium are still a monkey on our back. All down to the penny-pinching owners. If Wrexham can get Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, Birmingham Tom Brady, and Swansea Snoop Dog, Martha Stewart and Luka Modric, why can't we get some big-name, media friendly, enthusiastic investors?

Simon: We huffed and puffed but Fulham blew our house down. Since David Moyes left, we have been on a downhill trajectory. Tim Steiden is one of our worst signings ever. The duds he has bought we now want to sell and the person you blame for that hire is David Sullivan. With no striker and a brittle defence, we do look doomed.

Fulham fans

Teddy: I thought we had control of the game and that it was a deserved win. West Ham had a few good chances but I didn't once lose faith in Bernd Leno. An important three points and European qualification is back on!

Bill: Grinding out results like this with three players away at Afcon along with injuries is very encouraging. Our form recently has been outstanding, so with shrewd transfers in January, who knows where we could end up?

Lee: Marco Silva is getting the best out of a small squad of experienced players. Fulham may lack flair and look pedestrian at times but they play as a team and do their homework on their opponents. It looks like another mid-table finish beckons and for a club with the budget and resources of Fulham, that is commendable. Silva may feel that the owners lack the ambition to back him properly and I fear that this will be his last season with the club. A vital win for us against a West Ham side that lacks confidence and may well lose the battle against relegation.

Gordon: We rode our luck. We have the players to make a half-chance count but soon our luck will run out. West Ham forged a number of chances and sliced us open a number of times but lacked luck with some of their shots. We need to use this momentum to tighten up at the back and work on creating more chances so we don't rely on Harry Wilson and his impossible shots.

West Ham could let Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta leave the club in January if an acceptable offer is made for the 28-year-old. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Reuters

It was another miserable day for West Ham at London Stadium.

The Hammers had chances to get a much-needed win, only for a failure to finish off their opportunities, as well as a late defensive error, to prove costly.

Raul Jimenez headed into the net in the 85th minute from Harry Wilson's cross for what proved to be the winner after Ollie Scarles had missed a chance to clear.

The result deepens the Hammers' relegation fears and they will be wondering how they left empty handed when they had chances to win in a game they would have targeted for three points.

Captain Jarrod Bowen and substitute Callum Wilson both missed two good chances and the Hammers' lack of creativity and clinical finishing was again exposed.

They have now only picked up 10 points from Nuno Espirito Santo's 13 games in charge, with just Burnley and Wolves collecting fewer since Nuno replaced the sacked Graham Potter at the end of September.

As well as the club struggling on the pitch, there have been frequent protests throughout the season from the Hammers fans, angry at the club's direction under chairman David Sullivan and vice chair Baroness Karren Brady.

In the 15th minute, to signify the 15 years they have been at the club, numerous fans held up red cards aimed at the pair, while chants of "sack the board" were also heard.

If the Hammers are to extend their 14-season spell in the top flight then Bowen, their top scorer with only five goals, will need to have a strong second half to the campaign - and some attacking help from those around him or new additions.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo spoke to BBC Match of the Day after his side's defeat by Fulham: "It [the goal] comes after some chances we had in the second half, we have been punished by a mistake and we lose the game.

"Everybody cares, it's not about that but about the situation we are in. Everything bad happens to us. You can argue about the justice of the result, but the reality is we lost after what I think was an equal first half, both teams didn't have much.

"Second half - we had the momentum, created situations we should have scored from, and in the end we were punished.

"We have to react, the good part is we play another game in two days time. It's another chance to give back to our fans.

"When you don't score you are never totally comfortable."

Did you know?

• West Ham United have won just 13 points from their 18 Premier League games this season, their fewest at this stage of a league campaign since 2010-11 when they went on to finish bottom of the Premier League (also 13).

• West Ham United are the first team to lose six consecutive London derbies in a Premier League campaign since today's opponents Fulham in 2018-19 (lost all 10).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on West Ham's performance

What did you make of Fulham's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

West Ham, who have not won in six matches in all competitions are unchanged from the 11 that began the 3-0 loss at Manchester City a week ago.

West Ham XI: Areola, Todibo, Kilman, Magassa, Walker-Peters, Scarles, Potts, Fernandes, Summerville, Paqueta, Bowen

Subs: Hermansen, Earthy, Mavropanos, Rodriguez, Soucek, Kante, Golambeckis, Mayers, Wilson

Fulham also name the same 11 that began the 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Monday. The Cottagers are aiming to secure their third away win in a row.

Fulham XI: Leno, Robinson, Andersen, Cuenca, Tete, Lukic, Berge, Wilson, Smith-Rowe, Kevin, Jimenez

Subs: Lecomte, Castagne, Reed, Diop, Ridgeon, Cairney, King, Traore, Kusi-Asare

There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Nottingham Forest v Manchester City (12:30)

• Arsenal v Brighton - BBC Radio 5 Live

• Brentford v Bournemouth

• Burnley v Everton

• Liverpool v Wolves - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• West Ham v Fulham

• Chelsea v Aston Villa (17:30) - BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

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You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Brighton" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Chelsea v Aston Villa", for instance.

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West Ham really need a win here. They are staring down the barrel of relegation after taking only two points from their past five games.

Nuno Espirito Santo got a bit of a bounce at the start of November but they have not maintained that form.

There does not seem to be much Christmas cheer at London Stadium at the moment and if they get off to a bad start here, things could turn quite quickly.

Fulham got an important win over Nottingham Forest on Monday, which was enough for them to keep their heads above water in the relegation struggle.

They always seem to pose a goal threat, and I have a feeling they will have something to celebrate here, too.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

West Ham United aim to end their six-game winless run against in-form Fulham.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of Saturday's meeting at London Stadium (15:00 GMT).

Festive failings

The phrase 'too good to go down' is one often used in relation to certain Premier League teams, although West Ham's current run of poor form may mean it is not attributed to the Hammers very often during the festive season.

The east London club's tally of 13 points is their joint-lowest Premier League tally at Christmas, matching the 13 they recorded in 2010-11 – a campaign in which they were relegated after finishing bottom of the table.

So while the West Ham roster boasts players as talented as Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta, they have not won in the Premier League since a 3-2 victory against Burnley on 8 November.

The data suggests that poor results stem from a squad still struggling to adapt to head coach Nuno Espirito Santo's counter-attacking style.

The Hammers have less of the ball on average than under predecessor Graham Potter, but record fewer shots on target and fewer touches in the opposition box, alongside facing a greater number of shots on target themselves.

Nuno is averaging just 0.83 points per game as Hammers boss, the lowest tally of any permanent manager in their Premier League history.

Fulham in form before festive fixtures

Facing in-form Fulham may not be on West Ham's Christmas list given they have lost all five of their Premier League games against fellow London sides this season, conceding 14 goals and scoring just twice.

The Hammers last lost six consecutive league London derbies between April 1996 and January 1997.

Fulham, meanwhile, have been resurgent in recent weeks, winning four of their past six matches.

Only Manchester City, Arsenal and Aston Villa have won more than Fulham's 15 points since the start of November, while the Cottagers have triumphed in their past two away Premier League matches, as many as in their previous 12 fixtures on the road combined.

Striker Raul Jimenez was the match-winner against Nottingham Forest on Monday night. His decisive penalty equalled former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure's perfect record of 11 successful penalties from 11 – the joint best 100% record in the competition's history.

Jimenez also likes playing against West Ham. He has scored six goals against them, his joint best tally against any top-flight club, along with Everton.