Can Brighton boost survival hopes with West Brom win? - Ten Premier League talking points ahead of this weekend's clashes

Despite having much the better of the attacking opportunities, the Seagulls were ultimately undone by a stoppage time strike from Christian Benteke that not only saw any bragging rights slip through their fingers, but also left them thoroughly embroiled in a relegation battle.

Albion are four points clear of the drop zone, with Fulham making up ground quickly, but will have another chance to put some distance between themselves and the bottom three when they face Sam Allardyce’s struggling West Brom on Saturday afternoon.

The Baggies haven’t won a league game since the middle of January, but did pick up a point against Burnley last time out.

We’ve taken a look at some of the biggest talking points from this weekend’s upcoming Premier League matches below...

West Ham vs Manchester City: Can Moyes keep hammering away against Blues?

You’d struggle to find a manager in the country who can boast a redemption arc as impressive as David Moyes’.

The Scot was widely written off following doomed spells with Manchester United, Sunderland, and Real Sociedad in La Liga, but his time with West Ham has been a welcome reminder of his obvious talent in the dugout.

The Hammers have, somewhat shockingly, emerged as genuine top four contenders this season, and a hard-fought victory over Tottenham last weekend only boosted their credentials further.

Saturday’s clash against Manchester City will be anything but easy, and the truth is that the Premier League title is probably Pep Guardiola’s to lose at this stage.

But the Irons are in a uniquely rich purple patch at the moment, and you wouldn’t bet against them getting some kind of positive result out of this one.

Brighton vs West Brom: Will misfiring Albion his the spot against the Baggies?

Who knows where Brighton would be in the Premier League table if they had a 20-goal-a-season striker in their ranks.

To be fair, you could probably say that about most sides in the bottom half of the table, but it feels like finding a consistent hitman is a particularly pressing issue for the Seagulls.

Monday night’s late defeat to bitter rivals Crystal Palace was a perfect case in point – Albion managed 25 efforts on goal to the Eagles’ three, and yet still came away with nothing.

Ordinarily, the last person a misfiring team at the wrong end of the table would want to see rolling over the horizon is Sam Allardyce, but so far, the veteran firefighter’s struggling West Brom side have failed to live up to his usual standards of defensive solidity.

Last Saturday’s agricultural stalemate against Burnley was his first clean sheet since taking over at The Hawthorns, and if there is a game that Brighton can rekindle their goal-scoring mojo in, it’s surely this one.

Leeds United vs Aston Villa: Can Whites edge Villans in battle of the high-flyers?

The Pontus Jansson derby, Leeds against Aston Villa has thrown up its fair share of thrills and spills in recent seasons – and given that Marcelo Bielsa insists on his team playing every match in the Premier League like the final act of a Hollywood action movie, this one promises to be no different.

These sides have arguably been two of the surprise packages of the season, and a win for the Whites could see them leapfrog Dean Smith’s men into eighth in the table.

A lot could depend on whether or not Jack Grealish is fit to feature for Villa too.

The short-socked sensation has been unplayable at times this year, and as we saw during last weekend's defeat to Leicester City, the Villans just aren't the same team without him pulling the strings.

Newcastle United vs Wolves: Can Steve Bruce keep mounting pressure at bay?

Fulham’s recent upturn in form could hardly have come at a worse time for Steve Bruce.

From being 10 points clear of safety, his Newcastle United side are now teetering precariously on the edge of the relegation zone, and could succumb to its quicksand-like pull if they lose to Wolves on Saturday night and the Cottagers beat Crystal Palace on Sunday.

There's still plenty of football left to be played, but being anywhere near a survival scrap at this advanced stage of the campaign borders on disastrous for the Magpies, and unless things change quickly, the pressure on Bruce is going to keeping on cranking up and up.

In truth, in the eyes of the fans, it may already be too late for the 60-year-old.