Brighton & Hove Albion

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

• Brighton v West Ham (14:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Fulham v Crystal Palace (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Follow action and reaction here from Amex Stadium

Check out our coverage from Craven Cottage

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Brighton v West Ham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Fulham v Crystal Palace".

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West Ham got a big point at Old Trafford on Thursday. They are in a bit of trouble at the bottom of the table and you can see they are scrapping for everything.

They have to, really. Everyone has written Wolves off, for obvious reasons, and it looks like Burnley are slipping out of touch too, but with Leeds winning in midweek it just puts a bit more pressure on the Hammers.

At least it looks like they are moving in the right direction under Nuno Espirito Santo, even if they haven't won in three games.

This is a tough trip for them, though.

What a game that was between Brighton and Aston Villa on Wednesday. I always think the Seagulls will score goals, but I always expect them to leak a few too.

That was Brighton's first home defeat of the season, but they should bounce back on Sunday.

Sutton's prediction: 3-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Brighton & Hove Albion suffered a 4-3 home defeat to Aston Villa in midweek, but will look to bounce back against a West Ham side who have slipped back into the bottom three.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of Sunday's meeting at the Amex Stadium (14:00 GMT).

Seagulls have great record against West Ham

Brighton come into this game licking their wounds after surrendering their 10-match unbeaten run at home to in-form Aston Villa on Wednesday.

The Seagulls normally finish games strongly, having scored a joint league-high 10 goals in the final 15 minutes of matches this season.

Instead, against the Villans, they came out of the blocks strongly and were 2-0 up after 29 minutes, only for Unai Emery's side to roar back and win a thrilling game 4-3.

It was the first time the Seagulls had lost a home league fixture despite scoring three goals since another 4-3 defeat to Rochdale in the fourth tier in December 1999.

If history is anything to go by, though, West Ham are the ideal opposition for Brighton to face to shake off that defeat. They have remarkably lost only one of their 16 Premier League matches against the Hammers (W7, D8) and the 31 goals they have scored versus the Londoners is more than they have against any other side.

And the bad news keeps coming for West Ham. In-form Brighton striker Danny Welbeck has scored a career best six Premier League goals against them.

Hammers improve under Nuno

West Ham may have dropped into the relegation zone after the midweek round of fixtures but their battling qualities under Nuno Espirito Santo were again on show as they fought back to earn a valuable point against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Since his first league game in charge of the Hammers, their tally of eight points won from losing positions can only be beaten by Aston Villa.

Things are definitely on the up since the Portuguese took over and their draw at Old Trafford means they have lost just one of their last five league matches (W2, D2).

However, they are two points adrift of safety and need to pick up wins fast, starting with reversing their awful record against Brighton.

Even Nuno has struggled against the Seagulls whilst in charge of other clubs having won just two of his nine Premier League games against them. Although, in his last meeting with the south coast club, he did enjoy the joint-biggest win of his managerial career as he led Nottingham Forest to a 7-0 victory in February.

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against West Ham at Amex Stadium (kick-off 14:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news: "I don't have great news today. Stefanos [Tzimas] we have to further assess him, but at the moment, it looks like a long-term injury, so another long-term injury for us this season. Not quite lucky with them, but we will find solutions, and we wish Stefanos a quick recovery and all the best. I would say months [on how long he will be out]."

• Hurzeler also divulged that he is still unsure whether Yasin Ayari and Kaoru Mitoma will be fit to face West Ham, though he believes both could be available. Mitoma suffered a "setback during the training session", but the manager remains hopeful he could still make the squad for the Hammers' visit.

• On West Ham's poor win rate against Brighton: "I don't like statistics, but this time maybe I'll take them if you say this to me. I don't know if the players are aware. Normally, I just use statistics regarding us, regarding things you can influence, regarding things you can influence by your behaviour, and I think that's a statistic they cannot really influence, but definitely, for my mind, it's very positive, so I will leave this room with a positive feeling thanks to you."

• He also revealed that he doesn't think "about revenge" against Nuno despite last season's 7–0 defeat to his Nottingham Forest side. For Hurzeler, "it's about Brighton and West Ham", a completely different scenario to last year, though he did acknowledge that Nuno's teams are "always difficult to beat".

• On togetherness and not casting aside injured players: "For me, the biggest value here is togetherness. We are never a team that will win games or be successful by individual quality. This club here will be successful if everyone sticks together, and therefore every player is welcome in every meeting, every player can share his opinion, no matter if you're injured or not, and every player can also be involved in training sessions, no matter if you're injured or not. I think that's so important that we don't try to separate the groups, we try to bring them together because especially when players are injured, they go through a mental dark place, they will have doubts, they will have fears, and I think especially in these times, we really have to make sure that we keep them mentally on track."

• Hurzeler added that he was pleased with the "overall performance" from Carlos Baleba against Aston Villa after leaving him out against Nottingham Forest. The Brighton boss reiterated that it is unrealistic to expect a "magic performance like we saw from him last season" at this stage, stressing that it is more about steady, incremental gains in his development.

• On West Ham: "I think every team has its quality, every team has its individual quality, especially like West Ham with their attack, with their midfield option. They can be a big danger. I think [Jarrod] Bowen and [Mateus] Fernandes, also [Lucas] Paqueta, when he comes back, [Callum] Wilson, they all have the quality to score a goal, to create something out of nothing, especially the teams from Nuno [Espirito Santo], they are very disciplined, they know how to defend, they know how to win games. So we have to keep pushing, we have to push our limits and our standards again. We have to understand that, again, small margins will make the difference, no matter if it's like a throw and a set-piece; these are all things that can change the game."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to Fabian Hurzeler on BBC Sounds

Brighton are monitoring Aston Villa's 21-year-old Dutch midfielder Lamare Bogarde. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Tottenham could make a £40m bid for Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke. (Teamtalk), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton midfielder Matt O'Riley has been the subject of several questions sent in via our Ask about Brighton form.

For example, Bri asked: "With Matt O'Riley, I really struggle to understand what's going on. We did so well to get him to sign for us, and he is a great player, so why would we not want him?"

BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor said:

The club were certainly delighted to sign Matt O'Riley, but his integration was disrupted by that long-term injury sustained just minutes into his debut against Crawley Town.

Having recovered and started the season in the starting XI, O'Riley has had to settle for a role on the bench. Every player wants to play, but Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler was unable to guarantee a regular starting role with a wealth of options in the central part of the pitch and across his attacking options. With a large squad, a loan move to Marseille seemed to make sense for both parties.

His game time in the south of France has been limited recently by a minor injury but the Ligue 1 club appears to be keen to turn the loan into a permanent arrangement. The price Marseille are willing to pay may be the deciding factor.

Things can change quickly in football, but a swift return seems unlikely. The manager this week did, however, reiterate that he remains a Seagulls player and his progress is being monitored.

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We asked for your views on Wednesday's Premier League game between Brighton and Aston Villa.

Here are some of your comments:

Brighton fans

Tony: Disappointing after such a strong start. Seemed to switch off for first two Villa goals and then Villa were the better team. We are always vulnerable defensively and I have no idea why Hurzeler continues with Wieffer as a right-back. Missed Ayari, but Baleba looked more like himself. Overall though, we should take the positives of a strong first 30 minutes!

Peter: Sloppy and unprofessional after a great start. A lack of tactical awareness and poor use of substitutes by Hurzeler. The set-pieces were woeful despite the recent addition of the new set-piece coach.

Fran: Inconsistency! That's us. We were sloppy all over the pitch, our passes kept going to them, our build-up play was so slow and in front of goal we were hesitant. Even though we scored three goals, we were poor. Whenever Villa attacked, they were quick and directly went for goal. We just got to their penalty area stopped and passed it back.

Bal: A bizarre but entertaining match. Obviously really disappointing to lose the lead but I feel the tactics are looking good and I see what Hurzeler is saying about intensity coming to fruition. Fingers crossed Tzimas is OK.

Aston Villa fans

Samuel: What a rollercoaster! Awful start and deserved to be 2-0 down. You could feel Emery's rage from the touchline, it gave the players the wake-up call they needed. Fantastic to see Watkins take his goals well, he's been under such pressure and is integral to our team, so I'm delighted to see him rewarded! Up to third and bring on Arsenal!

Mike: A really impressive comeback last night and a game that should now bury the memory of the poor start to the season. The driving force of Emery from the touchline had to be seen to be believed. Could turn out to be the most significant game of the season.

Paul: I was sat in the Holte End a few weeks ago and the guy next to me said: "He's trying to play them through the bad patch and it's not working." Well, turns out it has worked and some! The character and grit in this performance against Brighton is what is now getting Villa fans excited. Dare we mention the "T word"?

Alex: I don't know how Emery does it. We haven't been great but keep winning. Now we were down by two and fought back to win. He's a genius. He just keeps getting more from the team. Give him all the mince pies and Xmas pudding in the land!

Pundits Danny Murphy and Shay Given join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Tuesday and Wednesday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

Brighton could move for Cologne's 19-year-old German winger Said el Mala in January in a deal which could cost up to 35 million euros (£30.6m). (Teamtalk), external

They will face competition for El Mala from Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea. (Talksport, external)

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

This was a disappointing loss for Brighton to swallow, considering they looked so commanding in the opening half hour.

They appeared to have the measure of Villa, limiting the threat from the visitors in attack and deservedly moving into a two-goal lead.

It was a different story in the second half, though, with the momentum by that point having switched to Villa after Watkins' two goals.

But Brighton can still take positives from a bold performance against the form team of the Premier League at the moment, while this was just their first defeat at home this season.

Fabian Hurzeler spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Brighton's defeat against Aston Villa: "The small margins decided the game and they weren't in our direction. A game takes 90 minutes and that's what we hva eot do better. 30 minutes is not enough.

'We conceded two goals but we were still there. We had another chance, a big chance.

"We never gave up and that's positive. We can fight these kind of battles but it's about doing the small margins right."

Did you know?

In the Premier League, Brighton have a 61.5% losing rate against Aston Villa (W2 D3 L8), their second-highest percentage against any side in the competition they've faced 3+ times after only Manchester City (70.6%).

Listen to Hurzeler's chat with BBC Radio Sussex on BBC sounds here

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

Have your say on Brighton's performance

What did you make of Aston Villa’s display?

Come back on Thursday for a selection of your replies

Brighton make three changes as Stefanos Tzimas, Carlos Baleba and Brajan Gruda all come into the side.

Brighton XI: Verbruggen; Wieffer, Dunk, Van Hecke, De Cuyper; Gruda, Baleba, Gomez; Minteh, Tzimas, Kadioglu.

Subs: Steele, Hinshelwood, Welbeck, Kostoulas, Boscagli, Veltman, Coppola, Knight, Oriola

Ollie Watkins starts for Aston Villa, with Ian Maatsen, Amadou Onana and Evann Guessand also coming into the first XI.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen, Kamara, Onana, McGinn, Rogers, Guessand, Watkins.

Subs: Bizot, Lindelof, Digne, Garcia, Bogarde, Tielemans, Buendia, Malen, Sancho.

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

• Arsenal v Brentford

• Brighton v Aston Villa

• Burnley v Crystal Palace

• Wolves v Nottingham Forest

• Leeds v Chelsea (20:15)

• Liverpool v Sunderland (20:15)

Kick-off times 19:30 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Noel Sliney
BBC Sport senior journalist

Two of the Premier League's in-form teams meet on the south coast on Wednesday. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes.

Brighton's home comforts

Brighton and Hove Albion are vying to register a club record fourth successive top-flight home win in a row, and they are unbeaten in 10 Premier League matches at Amex Stadium since a 3-0 defeat against Aston Villa eight months ago.

Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler bemoaned his side's failure to implement their usual high-pressing game during that fixture, with his players looking jaded in the wake of an FA Cup quarter-final exit on penalties to Nottingham Forest four days earlier.

This time around, they face Villa off the back of an impressive away league victory at Forest, which secured 10 points from four games in November. Only Chelsea matched that.

Brighton's high press has served them well this season – they've won possession within 40 metres of their opponent's goal more than any other side, and this has translated to an unrivalled number of shots and two goals.

"I see a team that sticks together, a team that's working hard, a team that's getting an understanding more and more for each other," said Hurzeler after Sunday's win at Nottingham Forest.

Defining month for Villa?

Meanwhile, Aston Villa have moved from 18th place to fourth by winning seven of their past eight league matches. They have earned the most points in the division over that time, with only Manchester City scoring more and just Arsenal conceding fewer.

Nonetheless, their credentials will be severely tested in December. In addition to this testing trip to Brighton, they face Arsenal twice, Chelsea and Manchester United before the end of the year.

Villa have had to think outside the box since failing to win any of their opening five league games this season – and only scoring one goal during that period. Nine of their 16 top-flight goals have been scored from outside the penalty area - no other team in Premier League history has scored such a high percentage of goals from range in a season.

While it has led to spectacular moments, Villa's reliance on long-range shots is indicative of the fact they are yet to fully find their attacking fluency this season. Unai Emery, whose next Premier League victory will be a record 62nd for a Villa manager, has challenged his side to improve their goal output:

"We lost [out on] Champions League [qualification last season] through goal difference," he said.

"We are, in our demands, trying to identify where we played weak, even when we are winning. We are not scoring a lot of goals. We want to score goals and get numbers."

Image source, Getty Images

As he prepares to make his 500th appearance for Brighton, defender Lewis Dunk has been reflecting on his career with the Seagulls in an interview with BBC Radio Sussex.

The centre-back, then aged 18, made his first-team debut in May 2010 in a 0-0 draw at MK Dons in League One.

"I'm probably the only one in that game that it was significant to," said Dunk, now 34. "It was not the most exciting game but, for me, it was. It was an incredible moment in my career - it started it off and it will be a day I'll always remember for the rest of my life.

"It was a long time ago. To think about where this football club was then and where it is [now] - captaining it and playing 500 games - it's been a fun journey and one I've really enjoyed."

Dunk has been part of two promotion-winning squads at Brighton and led the club into their maiden season in Europe - and he hopes there is more success to come.

"Of course I'm proud of what I've achieved so far, but there's always more to achieve," he said.

"Maybe it doesn't happen, but of course I want to lift a trophy for this football club. I want to be the one walking up those steps at Wembley or wherever it is and lifting a trophy.

"I want to play as long as I can - and as long as I'm enjoying my football, that's all that matters. At the moment I feel good - probably the best I've felt in my career.

"There's a lot of life left in me and I want to enjoy football until the day it ends."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

As Lewis Dunk prepares to make his 500th appearance for Brighton on Wednesday, here are some of the images from his 15-plus years as a first-team player for the Seagulls.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

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Villa are playing well right now but this is a tough trip for them and with their heavy schedule it might be a game too far.

Brighton are in great form too, especially at home. Their boss Fabian Hurzeler has done a great job there.

The Seagulls have got plenty of firepower and a strong squad so, on that basis, I am going to back them.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say

Image source, PA Media

Lewis Dunk is poised to make his 500th appearance for Brighton on Wednesday.

The Seagulls captain, 34, made his debut for Brighton in a League One game against MK Dons in May 2010.

He has since been involved in two promotions, appeared in two FA Cup semi-finals, played for the club in the Europa League and represented England.

Dunk has been speaking to BBC Radio Sussex before reaching the milestone and, as he prepares for game number 500, we want you to share your best moments of the centre-back's career with us.

Get in touch with your favourite memories and come back to this page on Wednesday for a selection of your replies.

Brighton fan Alice Botting joined BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club to explain why supporters are still "divided" over head coach Fabian Hurzeler, despite the Seagulls sitting fifth in the Premier League.

"The fan base is so divided over how he is doing and how we are doing as a club, but I personally have no complaints," Botting said. "I think he has done really well.

"The only issues we've had, especially last season, was with the 7-0 [loss] at Nottingham Forest and a couple of other results, it didn't quite seem like he had the passion afterwards and didn't seem like he was as involved with fans, but there can't be any complaints where we are this season.

"We have really gone under the radar being in fifth because no one really talks about us that much this season.

"There is still a divide. It is not as big as it was a couple of weeks ago but the table is tight so a small change in form and you can go from being in the top six to the bottom half."

Asked about those who may have an objection to Hurzeler and the potential reasons for it, Botting added: "For a lot of people, the passion that Roberto de Zerbi showed, we don't quite have with Hurzeler.

"So many people related to Roberto and felt like he was one of us because you could see his passion on the touchline when we won, he was really going for it.

"We don't really have that with Fabian, I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but for people who enjoyed that from Roberto, we don't have that same feeling that we're all together."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer and listen on BBC Sounds