The new 2024 started with a firework at Anfield where Liverpool toppled Newcastle and the fans of arguably the best league in the world hope tonight’s clash will follow suit – efficiency-wise at least.Two sides who ended 2023 with astounding wins over North London giants square off in their opening fixture of 2024 on Tuesday, as West Ham United face Brighton at the Olympic London Stadium.The Irons dented Arsenal’s title aspirations with a 2-0 win over the Gunners on Thursday, while the Seagulls produced an attacking masterclass in a 4-2 beating of Tottenham Hotspur.Twenty-two times David Moyes had tried and failed to mastermind an away win against Arsenal, but the West Ham boss got one over his former pupil Mikel Arteta on Thursday.Despite ceding 77 touches to Arsenal in their own penalty area – a Premier League record for a team not to find the back of the net – West Ham offered Alphonse Areola remarkable protection throughout the 90 minutes, resulting in West Ham occupying sixth place in the table.It’s a thriller to start the year! Salah’s double makes amend for a missed pen in win over ToonA London Stadium first could also be achieved by Moyes’ men on Tuesday, as they are aiming to win four successive games with four clean sheets in a single season for the first time since 1994, and they only failed to score in one Premier League home game throughout the entirety of 2023.Neither Arsenal nor Tottenham supporters could poke fun at the other’s misfortune on December 28, as while the Gunners failed to penetrate the West Ham backline, Ange Postecoglou’s depleted defence were torn to shreds by the soaring Seagulls at the AMEX Stadium.Two Joao Pedro penalties, a ferocious Jack Hinshelwood strike and goal-of-the-season contender from Pervis Estupinan all contributed to a momentous win for Roberto De Zerbi’s side – cementing an eighth-placed ranking in the process.West Ham are clean sheet-less from each of their previous 13 Premier League affairs with Brighton, although their trip down south in August concluded in a 3-1 AMEX victory, which ended an abysmal 12-game run without victory against the Seagulls in league action.Soucek signs on – Moyes is nextMoving on to the roster issues. West Ham put title-chasing Arsenal to the sword even without the services of Lucas Paqueta for the majority of the match; the Brazilian came off on the 33-minute mark after initially appearing to injure himself in the warm-up, although the Hammers took a risk by naming him in the starting line-up.Moyes has confirmed that Paqueta is suffering from a knee injury, the severity of which will be disclosed once the results of his scans are through, and he is one of three players nursing such a problem alongside Michail Antonio and Kurt Zouma.Nayef Aguerd (illness) is also touch-and-go and is one of two players due to head to the African Cup of Nations this month alongside Ghanaian sensation Mohammed Kudus, but there has been no confirmation on when the pair are expected to join up with their national teams, leaving their participation clouded in uncertainty.As for a ravaged Brighton, De Zerbi will definitely have to make do without one of his stalwarts Lewis Dunk, who picked up his fifth booking of the season against Tottenham – a yellow that could have easily been a direct red.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Dunk takes his place on the sidelines with Joel Veltman (knee), Ansu Fati (thigh), Julio Enciso (knee), Kaoru Mitoma (ankle), Simon Adingra (hamstring), Solly March (knee), Adam Webster (unspecified) and Tariq Lamptey (thigh), while Igor and Facundo Buonanotte also picked up knocks in midweek.De Zerbi should therefore have no choice but to accelerate Estupinan’s return to the starting lineup after his wonder strike off the bench against Spurs, while Adam Lallana will likely benefit from Buonanotte’s problem.A clash of two exciting sides, which are more often than not participants in the league’s recent thrilling match-ups.PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 20SaturdayLuton Town – Chelsea 2-3 (0-2)/Barkley 80, Adebayo 87 – Palmer 12, 70, Madueke 37/Aston Villa – Burnley 1-1 (1-1)/Bailey 29 – Amdouni 31/Crystal Palace – Brentford 1-1 (1-1)/Olise 14 – Lewis-Potter 2/Man.City – Sheffield Utd 1-0 (1-0)/Rodri 14/Wolverhampton – Everton 1-0 (1-0)/Kilman 25/Nott.Forest – Man.Utd. 2-1 (0-0)/Dominguez 64, Gibbs-White 83 – Rashford 78/SundayTottenham – Bournemouth 3-1 (1-0)/Sarr 9, Son 71, Richarlison 80 – Scott 84/Fulham – Arsenal 2-1 (1-1)/Jimenez 29, Decordova-Ried 59 – Saka 5/MondayLiverpool – Newcastle United 4-2 (0-0)/Salah 49, 86 pen, Jones 74, Gakpo 78 – Isak 54, Botman 81/Tuesday22:30: (2.50) West Ham (3.45) Brighton (2.75)***odds are subject to change***
