West Ham's goal-shy £27m striker Niclas Fullkrug sums up why the Hammers have fallen behind Brighton and Bournemouth
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Fifteen years ago this weekend, an Alessandro Diamanti penalty earned West Ham a point at home to Premier League leaders Chelsea and another one, on Boxing Day, helped the Hammers secure a 2-0 win over Portsmouth. Brighton, meanwhile, followed up a defeat at Swindon that left them in the League One relegation zone with a goalless draw at home to Leyton Orient and, even further down the pyramid, League Two Bournemouth were still reeling from a 5-0 defeat at Morecambe.
![[The Hammers were underdogs heading into Monday night's match away against Bournemouth]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/22/93369295-14215483-image-a-128_1734732179060.jpg)
A decade and a half later, West Ham welcome Brighton to the London Stadium on Saturday knowing they are underdogs. The bookies say they are anyway. They went to the Vitality Stadium on Monday night knowing the same. This is a club, let’s not forget, that won a European trophy last year under David Moyes, reached the Europa League semi-finals, and finished in the top 10 in three of the last four seasons.
![[Brighton will also start as the favourites against West Ham when they meet on Saturday]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/22/93369317-14215483-image-a-129_1734732288828.jpg)
And yet there’s still a lingering feeling of stagnation, of a team not fulfilling their potential while smaller sides progress further and faster with fewer resources. In the latest set of accounts, only the Big Six and Saudi-backed Newcastle raked in more revenue than West Ham’s £237million and yet in the Premier League table they sit behind Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Fulham, Brighton and Brentford.
![[West Ham forked out £27m on Niclas Fullkrug, a 31-year-old striker with no resale value]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/21/93368981-14215483-image-a-114_1734731609620.jpg)
There is a lingering feeling of stagnation at West Ham, while smaller sides progress faster. The Hammers were underdogs heading into Monday night's match away against Bournemouth. Brighton will also start as the favourites against West Ham when they meet on Saturday.
![[Brighton and Bournemouth opted for younger forwards in Georginio Rutter and Evanilson]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/21/93369065-14215483-image-m-124_1734731771809.jpg)
