Chris Hughton looks ahead to a big period for Brighton & Hove Albion

Chris Hughton’s side have won just one of their seven Premier League matches this campaign, 3-2 at home to Manchester United in August, and entertain a Hammers team who appear to have turned the corner after beginning the season with four successive league defeats.

West Ham have since collected seven points from three games – with wins over Everton and Manchester United and a draw with Chelsea – and also reached the last 16 of the Carabao Cup after a 8-0 victory over Macclesfield last week.

Albion have had a tough start to the season, with fixtures against United, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester City, but do not play another top-six side until December.

In their next nine games, Brighton entertain West Ham, Wolves, Leicester and Crystal Palace and travel to Newcastle, Everton, Cardiff, Huddersfield and Burnley.

Looking ahead to the next couple of months, Hughton said: “It’s really important for us.

“In our seven games, we’ve played four of the top six and two of the other games have been away from home.

“We have to put it into perspective.

“We now go through a period of games where some are at home and two of our next three are at home. In that period, we have to capitalise when and where we can.

“Probably what we don’t like to say is we don’t think we can get results against the top six. Certainly in our case, we’ve run them close in games.

“But it goes without saying we have better opportunities and better chances to get points against the teams outside of that six.

“It’s a big period for us and we need to make full benefit of it.”