Alisha Lehmann says West Ham United are driven by a desire to prove just how talented the side really is, as the team prepares to take on Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend.
The Irons will return to Rush Green Stadium for a first home match of 2020 with a Barclays FA Women’s Super League game against the Seagulls, having been defeated by Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday.
The frustration of defeat to Spurs, in particular the manner of the late loss, left Lehmann and her teammates disappointed in their own performance, but the Swiss international is determined to put things right in the upcoming match.
This is not only a good chance to get a win, but I think it’s a game we have to win really
Alisha Lehmann
“I think we didn’t put the things we did in training into the actual game last weekend, so we were a little bit lost on the pitch,” Lehmann reflected. “We made a lot of wrong positions and we didn’t play the balls we should have played.
“It was frustrating. Everyone here wants to win, and we want to play football that wins matches, so we weren’t happy with our performance on Sunday. We want to rectify that this weekend.
“Training has been really good. Everyone wants to play at the weekend and wants to show how good we are. It’s been positive out there. We want to give everything during training and give everything during the game. This is not only a good chance to get a win, but I think it’s a game we have to win really.
“We have put in a strong performance and take the three points.”
Lehmann opened her goalscoring account for the season in the reverse tie against Brighton earlier this campaign, scoring a powerful finish to help the Irons to a 3-1 win away from home.
The No7 however says West Ham must still respect this weekend’s opponents, pointing to Brighton’s 4-0 victory at Rush Green on the final of last season.
She continued: "I have good memories of playing Brighton earlier in the season. I scored my first goal of the season and it was my first really good performance since coming back from injury.
“We have to be wary too though, because last time we played them here, we lost. I think we need to be focused.”
With Sunday’s match the first opportunity of the new year to step out in front of the home West Ham United supporters, Lehmann is determined to repay their faith in the team.
The best way for the side to display their appreciation, according to the young forward, will be for West Ham to take three points on Sunday.
“It’s always great when we have a lot of fans here at Rush Green, supporting us,” Lehmann added. “We have to be so thankful of our fans. They support us through everything and come to every game, every single week.
“Their support is so important, particularly when things aren’t going great, and we really want to give them the win this weekend.”
