Oh, what a setup we've got here folks! Brighton & Hove Albion facing off against West Ham, a classic case of two sides vying for a bit of hope. Notably, Brighton & Hove Albion will have young Bart Verbruggen between the posts, sporting a comfortable 6.47 rating with 11 saves to his name. West Ham counters with the equally nimble Alphonse Aréola boasting an identical number of saves.

Brighton & Hove Albion's line-up spotlight shines on João Pedro and Danny Welbeck. Isn't it lovely when the forwards decide to earn their bread? With 2 goals each and Welbeck’s persistent barrage of shots on goal, it's clear they're the ones to see for a little goalpost-to-net action.

Then comes on stage for West Ham, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, commanding the field with a 7.30 rating and a pass accuracy of 86.0%, followed by Lucas Paquetá with 7.22. Both men were born with GPS in their boots it seems. And let's not dismiss Niclas Füllkrug. He might not be quite as accurate but those boots certainly know the way to the net with 1 goal from 2 shots on goal.

This is quite amusing when you look at past matchups, Brighton & Hove Albion have managed to score more times during their last tête-à-tête, but as we say in this biz, past performance is not an indication of future returns.

It wouldn't do justice to ignore regular season records that reveal a slightly better performance by Brighton & Hove Albion with 12 wins, 12 draws, and 9 losses. West Ham, meanwhile, end up a bit lighter with their 9 wins, 9 draws, and 15 losses. And no, it's not a palindrome despite what the statistics might suggest.

Recent results show a bit of a rough patch for both teams, yet it’s fair to say that West Ham’s performances have been a tad more poised. Mind you, this is a world where the wind in a stadium can decide a match's result. Unfortunate, but that's the game.

Without further ado, I'd like to lay my hat on the table, and the hat says, with a smirk that Brighton & Hove Albion will squeeze past West Ham due to better odds, potent firepower in front of the goal, and the advantage claimed in past matchups. West Ham might put up a good fight, but Brighton & Hove Albion should pull through. Although predicting the winning margin in football is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack, it could be by just the one.

Albert’s Prediction: Brighton & Hove Albion by 1.