Probably the biggest difference between the Premier League and Championship is the relentless quality of the strikers confronted by Albion.

Romelu Lukaku, Mo Salah, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Danny Ings, Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero have all scored against them already this season.

Now they must try to avoid Marko Arnautovic adding his name to the list.

The powerful Austrian has been pinpointed by Glenn Murray, Albion's own leading marksman, as a big threat to Albion's hopes of resuming winning ways against West Ham at the Amex on Friday evening (8pm).

Arnautovic, accused by Jose Mourinho of having the "mentality of a child" during their turbulent relationship at Inter Milan, has matured into a potent menace to Premier League defences.

Effective at Stoke as a winger, he has blossomed even more since former West Ham manager David Moyes converted him into more of a striker.

The Argus: Arnautovic (above) is now justifying the £24 million fee that took him from the Potteries to East London last summer.

The goal that finished off Mourinho's Manchester United in Saturday's 3-1 win was his fourth in six Premier League appearances this season.

Murray, on the same mark, is in no doubt about who will jeopardise most Albion's bid to keep their first clean sheet of the campaign.

Murray told The Argus: "He's a fantastic player and he's shown that at West Ham.

"He almost carried the team at stages last year and he showed what a top quality player he is.

"He's set off again in the same vein of form that he ended last season. He is the danger man and we've got to try to keep a lid on him."

Arnautovic missed West Ham's 3-1 defeat at the Amex under Moyes in February.

That completed one of two win doubles for Albion in their inaugural season in the Premier League (the other was against relegated Swansea).

Murray and Jose Izquierdo (below) were both on target in both meetings with the Hammers.

The Argus: The 3-0 victory at the London Stadium on a Friday night in October, in which Murray scored twice including a penalty, was Albion's first away in the top flight since 1983.

Now, on another Friday night in October, Albion are keen to maintain their stranglehold over the Hammers in their last fixture before the next international break and the first in the latest round of matches.

Murray said: "I don't think it will make any difference playing first but we have got good memories of the Amex on a Friday night under the lights.

"The crowd's always big and loud and creates a very good atmosphere.

"On a Friday night I think everybody's a little bit more excited. It's the first day of the weekend, everyone's finished work, and we've had good nights. Hopefully we can have another one."

Murray, 35, was rested from the starting line-up by Chris Hughton for Saturday's 2-0 defeat by champions Manchester City at the Etihad.

Jurgen Locadia (below) took over up front before he replaced the Dutchman deep into the second half, not long after Aguero had doubled City's lead.

The Argus: "I was fit and ready to go," Murray said. "I want to play every game but I respect his (Hughton's) decision.

"At stages we did well and our tactics worked to a certain extent. We stayed in our shape and they struggled to break us down.

"I felt Jurgen did well. He worked hard and did well with the little ball that got up to him.

"It's a tough place to go to, one of the toughest. The result was respectable. We lose no confidence. A lot better teams have gone there and been undone by more.

"They are not champions for no reason. The good thing is we have done the Etihad and Anfield now already this season, Tottenham at home, Manchester United at home, four very tough games, and we've managed to pick up points.

"It would be great if we could add to the tally against West Ham. We are going into a group of games where we don't face any of the top six."

Albion have faced three of the top four and five of the top ten so far. West Ham's visit launches a run of games against none of the top six and four of the bottom seven.

In spite of the tough start, the Seagulls still have five sides below them.

Murray said: "I wouldn't call it a comfort (15th) but it's nice to not be in the bottom three, without that added pressure.

"We look at the season in blocks, normally in four game spells, and this opening eight games is difficult."

Getting the top teams out of the way early, before they are fully into their stride, is perceived to be a benefit.

West Ham, on the other hand, have run into form under their third manager since Albion hammered them at the London Stadium a year ago.

Slaven Bilic (below), in charge then, was sacked a fortnight later. Moyes steered them away from relegation trouble but was replaced in the summer by Manuel Pellegrini.

The Argus: It took a while for an influx of new signings to gel under the Chilean veteran who guided Man City to the title in 2013-14.

They lost their opening four games, against Liverpool, Arsenal, Bournemouth and Wolves. Since then they have won at Everton, drawn with Chelsea and beaten United, as well as thrashing Macclesfield 8-0 in the Carabao Cup.

Maybe Albion would have been better off facing West Ham even sooner as they try to respond at the Amex to their first home defeat since March against Spurs, only their fifth in total in the Premier League at headquarters.

Murray said: "With hindsight, yes, but we've come across teams in good form and managed to do well against them. We'll be looking to do that in the West Ham fixture.

"It's a good opportunity for us to pick some points up at home, get back to playing on the front foot maybe a little bit more."

The Hammers under Moyes were unbeaten in six matches when they came unstuck at the Amex last season.

That started a run of seven goals in his last ten home appearances for Murray, who is just two short of a century for the club.

Albion could do with his name in the headlines again on Saturday morning, not Arnautovic.