Brighton enter their final Premier League match of 2025 still chasing fifth place, despite a five-game winless run. West Ham sit 18th, yet victory at the London Stadium on 30 December could pull Brighton closer to Chelsea, who currently hold fifth and are only five points ahead in an increasingly compressed table.
Since defeating Nottingham Forest 2-0 on 30 November, Brighton have collected just two points. That sequence includes matches against Aston Villa (3-4), West Ham (1-1), Liverpool (0-2), Sunderland (0-0) and Arsenal (1-2). Brighton are 13th, yet the narrow gap to the European spots keeps the season’s target alive.
Brighton’s struggles are particularly clear in December. The team are winless in their last 11 Premier League fixtures played
in this month, all under Fabian Hurzeler. That run contains six draws and five defeats, and no other manager has taken charge of as many December league games without recording a single victory.
Despite that statistic, Hurzeler is urging Brighton to stay positive while focusing on long-term aims. "There is no reason to be negative or have any doubts," Hurzeler said. "We are there and it is a very tough competition as well as it being very equal at the moment. We have to look forward and stick to our principles, because we always solve big challenges at this club. "
The top behind-the-scenes moments from 'Brighton Unlocked' in . pic.twitter.com/SkiyO6LKrlBrighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 29, 2025
West Ham approach the game under intense pressure after slipping into the relegation zone. The team are 18th and have gone seven league matches without a win, falling further behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest. That downturn has also triggered discussion over Nuno Espirito Santo’s long-term position as head coach.
Hurzeler does not underestimate West Ham’s potential threat, even with their league position. "They still know how to win Premier League games even though they are not in a great situation," Hurzeler said about Brighton’s opponents. "We know how hard it is to beat them, so they will be a tough opponent. "
West Ham vs Brighton Premier League fixtures and key schedule
The meeting with Brighton begins a decisive spell for Nuno. West Ham’s match on 30 December is followed by another crucial fixture against Wolves, who are bottom of the table and Nuno’s former club. The coach accepts the gravity of the situation but believes performances can still improve in the short term.
After the 1-0 home defeat to Fulham on 27 December, Nuno underlined that view. "We cannot hide from the situation that we are in, but I'm positive that things are going to turn around," Nuno said. The upcoming fixtures may prove vital for West Ham’s survival chances and the club’s wider planning.
West Ham vs Brighton Premier League players to watch
Jarrod Bowen remains a central attacking figure for West Ham at the London Stadium. Bowen has scored in six of his last 13 Premier League home appearances. However, West Ham have failed to win any of those six games. Only five players have ever produced a longer scoring run at home without a victory.
That particular record stands at seven such home games, most recently set by Oliver McBurnie between December 2020 and April 2024 for Sheffield United. For Brighton, Diego Gomez is the main goal threat this season, leading the club with eight goals in all competitions and offering consistent danger away from the Amex Stadium.
Six of Gomez’s eight goals have come in away matches, underlining Brighton’s attacking potential on the road. Gomez scored in the 2-1 defeat at Arsenal in Brighton’s most recent league outing. However, Gomez has not yet managed to score in back-to-back appearances for Brighton, something the forward aims to change at West Ham.
West Ham vs Brighton Premier League history and Opta prediction
The sides meet for the second time in December after a 1-1 draw at the Amex earlier in the month. This is West Ham’s first instance of facing the same league opponent twice in one month since April 1980, when they drew and lost against Birmingham City in the second tier of English football.
West Ham last experienced that scenario in the top flight in August 1974, taking a win and a draw against Luton Town. Draws have been frequent in this fixture. Nine of 17 Premier League meetings between West Ham and Brighton have ended level, a 53 per cent share. Three of the last four encounters have finished all square.
Among fixtures played at least 15 times, only Chelsea versus Sheffield Wednesday has produced a higher draw percentage in Premier League history, with 56 per cent (nine of 16 games). Yet predictive data points toward an away success, largely because of West Ham’s difficulties when playing home matches during the current calendar year.
West Ham have suffered 11 Premier League home defeats in 2025. Only Wolves, with 12, have lost more home league games in the same period. This is West Ham’s joint-highest number of home league defeats in a single calendar year, matching the 11 losses recorded in 1967 and adding pressure ahead of Brighton’s visit.
Opta’s supercomputer projects that Brighton hold the strongest chance of victory. The model uses recent form, historical results and multiple performance indicators. Based on that analysis, Brighton are favourites, while West Ham retain a significant probability of getting a result, reflecting the fixture’s history of close contests and frequent stalemates.
| Outcome | Opta win probability |
|---|---|
| West Ham win | 29.3% |
| Brighton win | 46% |
| Draw | 24.7% |
Despite Brighton’s poor December record and recent run of five league matches without victory, the narrow margin to fifth place keeps European ambitions alive. West Ham’s position in 18th and a seven-game winless streak, combined with 11 home defeats in 2025, explains why data models lean towards a Brighton win at the London Stadium.
