Ahead of the festive period, goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański wants to provide West Ham United fans with the perfect Christmas present: three points against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday at London Stadium.
The Hammers head into the Premier League clash with four points from their last two games and are looking to record back-to-back victories in east London for the second time this season.
After beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 in the capital, Julen Lopetegui’s side played out a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth - a game the Poland international starred in.
The shot-stopper made eight saves at Vitality Stadium and would have been rewarded with his fourth clean sheet in all competitions this term had Enes Ünal’s free-kick not found the top corner late on.
While West Ham could have walked away with more than a point on Monday night, attentions are now firmly on the visit of the Seagulls and Fabiański hopes to turn the momentum from recent matches into an early festive gift for the Irons faithful.
“You want to repay the fans for all the support they’ve given us this season,” explained the Hammers' No1. “So sending them home for the next couple of days and letting them enjoy their Christmas on the back of three points is massive.
“I think we’re all really looking forward to this one and want to make sure that we perform well. We want to get a decent result, because that’s the main thing. That would be the best gift that we could give to our fans."
He continued: “I believe there’s been an improvement when you compare it to the start of the season, and we’ve been able to pick up a decent amount of points.
“I think from my perspective, from my own experience, you always have to stay calm and make sure that you focus on the main thing, which is basically working every day towards progressing as a team.
“The win against Wolverhampton was an important one for us, and although we could’ve won at Bournemouth, a draw was a decent result, so now we want to sign off for Christmas with another good display.”
The goalkeeper is looking forward to catching up with Brighton midfielder and fellow Poland international Jakub Moder on Saturday, but will ultimately be hoping the Hammers can add to their opponents’ woes, which has seen them fail to win in their last four Premier League outings.
The fixture against Brighton marks the start of four games in 13 days for West Ham, and 39-year-old Fabiański has played his part in many festive periods, but relishes the busy schedule all the same.
“I always enjoy being a part of it,” he said. “I made my 200th Premier League appearance for West Ham against Southampton during the festive period in 2018, so that’s probably my best footballing memory from this time of year. That was a special day, and we also won 2-1.
“I think the schedule for footballers over Christmas has changed, and it’s not as crazy as it used to be, but it’s partly about managing it properly, ensuring you’re resting as much as possible, and making sure there are as many players as fit as possible so the manager always has as many options as possible to manage the busy period.
“Christmas is my favourite holiday of the year, and it’s the one I look forward to most. It’s a very special time of the year and, for me, is very family-orientated.
“It’s a time of year that you share with your family, spend time together and cherish every moment you are able to spend together. It’s all about giving as well, which is something nice. It’s a very special time.
“I would like to wish our fans around the world happiness and health in this festive season.”
