Match of the Day pundit Mark Lawrenson has predicted that West Ham United will not be able to maintain their good form when they take on Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Friday.
The Hammers have managed to turn their Premier League fortunes around with two wins and a draw in their last three matches, but Lawrenson believes that it would be “typical” if they started to play badly just when their luck had started to change.
Lawrenson has predicted that the Seagulls will win 2-1 on home turf, adding that it will not all be “plain sailing” for the Irons despite their improvement.
“After their awful start to the season, West Ham are now on a decent run of form with two wins and a draw in their past three league games,” Lawrenson told BBC Sport.
“I’ve been reading about how a rant by their captain Mark Noble is behind their improvement, but I don’t think that suddenly means it is all plain sailing for them.
“It would probably be typical of the Hammers at the moment if they have a stumble just as they start to get back on their feet. That’s why I am going for a Brighton win.”
OPINION
With the good run of form that West Ham are currently on, it seems surprising that Lawrenson has opted for a Brighton win here. Yes, the Seagulls are a lot more dangerous at home in front of their own crowd, but a tighter result would be the most probable one here. West Ham fans need to forget that Brighton did the double over them last season and come into this match with a clean slate – as they are in the type of form where they could upset anyone. However, their away form is mixed, so it makes sense why Lawrenson has gone for the Brighton win. They desperately need a victory after a number of draws and losses recently, so they are likely to come out all guns blazing very early on. There is no reason why West Ham cannot get a result here – and if they do, it will prove that their recent run is not just a fluke.
