West Ham face the tough trip to Brighton on Saturday afternoon but David Moyes can give his side the best chance of earning another three points by starting Danny Ings.
The January signing scored his first West Ham goals last weekend following his move from Aston Villa, scoring twice in the hugely important 4-0 win against Nottingham Forest, which lifted the Hammers out of the relegation places in the top flight.
However, he was cup-tied for the midweek fixture against Manchester United at Old Trafford and was dearly missed, with Michail Antonio proving to be a significant downgrade in the attack, as he was guilty of missing a number of chances in the 3-1 loss.
While that defeat was tough to take for Moyes’ side, they should be high on confidence after the 4-0 thrashing of Forest last week and could deliver a huge three points if Ings can replicate his performance against the same opposition from earlier in the season.
The 30-year-old scored twice in Villa’s 2-1 win against the Seagulls at the Amex Stadium, as the Villans ignored the form books to earn a surprise three points against Roberto de Zerbi’s side, with WhoScored naming him their man of the match after he earned a superb 8.67 rating.
Throughout his career, Ings has scored five goals and provided two assists in 14 appearances against Brighton – only boasting a better scoring return against three other sides – and this shows that the gem loves playing against them.
Noel Whelan was full of praise for the £120k-per-week striker’s ability in front of goal and former partnership with Ollie Watkins during his time at Villa.
The ex-Leeds forward told Football Insider: “He’s showing what a good player he is and how dangerous he can be when he drops between the lines to feed Ollie Watkins.
“He is a phenomenal finisher as well, and we’re really seeing that partnership work with Watkins. They’re building that telepathy, which is key to any good side.”
Ings will be looking to do the same on Saturday afternoon when the Hammers arrive on the south coast, where three points could be massive in keeping the Hammers well away from any relegation trouble.
Both Antonio and Gianluca Scamacca have emphasised that they cannot be relied upon in front of goal this season, with just six league goals between them, so Moyes must turn to the most reliable finisher in his squad on Saturday, in the hope that he can dominate once again at the Amex, as the Englishman has done on many occasions before.