Stoke City will be seeking revenge when they meet Brighton & Hove Albion again in the FA Cup, with Robert De Zerbi’s men running out as winners last season.
Steven Schumacher will hope for a big scalp to kick-start his managerial career right at Stoke City with full vigour when they take on Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. The newly-appointed coach has led the team to an unbeaten start in his tenure, with one win and three draws, including a stellar result against promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town.
Jordan Thompson received a second yellow for dissent, which reduced Stoke City to ten men. But they held solid ground against the Tractor Boys to claim a point. The results will worry Schumacher as his side languish in the 19th spot, but he will hope for a revival of fortunes from here on.
Stoke City do not have an excellent recent record against Premier League opposition, failing to beat them in their last eight such meetings in the FA Cup. They will, however, come into this home clash with the motive of seeking revenge on Brighton, to whom they lost out in last season’s FA Cup fifth-round clash.
Roberto De Zerbi will want Brighton to go a bit further than their semi-final spot from last season in the FA Cup. Last term, they had a good run in the competition, even beating Liverpool but losing on penalties to Manchester United in the semi-finals.
De Zerbi’s men have not hit top form yet this season, as there are plenty of questions about their form and consistency. After ending 2023 with a stellar 4-2 win over Tottenham, the Seagulls could only manage an entertaining goalless draw against West Ham United.
While De Zerbi might have steered Brighton to a slender victory over Stoke City, the Seagulls have generally struggled for relevance at this ground. The win last season aside, they have drawn eight and lost nine of their 17 fixtures against the Potters before that.
Team News & Tactics
Stoke City
Steven Schumacher does not have too many fitness-related troubles to worry about right now. But he will miss Thompson through suspension. There are also doubts about Tyrese Campbell ahead of this FA Cup clash with Brighton.
There are further doubts about Enda Stevens and Josh Laurent, while Lynden Gooch could be assessed before the game to confirm his participation. In addition, there are further complications for Schumacher at the back, for which he will hope Gooch comes through fit and available.
Teenage goalkeeper Tommy Simkin remains unavailable due to being cup-tied for representing Solihull Moors on loan earlier this season. Meanwhile, Schumacher will miss right-back Junior Tchamadeu, who will represent Cameroon at the AFCON, meaning the manager will look to play left-back Ki-Jana Hoever on the right flank, with Gooch on the other side.
Daniel Johnson remains best placed to sit at the base of the midfield, replacing Thompson, with Lewis Baker and Wouter Burger on either side of him. In the front three, Ryan Mmaee will likely lead the line, while Andre Vidigal and Bae Jun-ho will provide support from wide areas.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Bonham; Hoever, McNally, Rose, Gooch; Baker, Johnson, Burger; Vidigal, Mmaee, Bae
Brighton & Hove Albion
Ideally, Roberto De Zerbi would have wanted to rotate his squad heavily for this cup competition. But injuries and absences may force his hand to use some familiar names in his lineup. Kaoru Mitoma has travelled with Japan despite nursing an ankle problem.
Some of the severely injured stars on a long list will surely miss this trip to Stoke City, while some, like Pervis Estupinan and Jack Hinshelwood, will keep their places in the lineup. De Zerbi might still have some room to shuffle his pack a bit, meaning he could rest Jan Paul van Hecke in favour of Adam Webster.
The recently-returned Jakub Moder will want to start. But De Zerbi will remain cautious, although he will likely come at some stage from the bench. Carlos Baleba and Mahmoud Dahoud are likely to form. Double pivot in midfield, while Adam Lallana could offer his expertise in that No.10 role.
Alternatively, due to the absence of his trusted wingers, De Zerbi could opt to use Lallana in a midfield three. That could then allow Facundo Buonanotte to play a more centrally advanced role behind the strikers. Evan Ferguson, who scored the winner against Stoke last season, could start alongside Danny Welbeck as his strike partner.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Verbruggen; Hinshelwood, Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Lallana, Baleba, Dahoud; Buonanotte; Welbeck, Ferguson
Key Stats
- Stoke City have not won in their last eight meetings with Premier League opposition in the FA Cup.
- Stoke City have also won only two of their last 11 games at home.
- Stoke City have failed to score in seven of their last 11 home games.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have one victory, eight draws and nine losses against Stoke City in their last 18 meetings.
- Brighton & Hove Albion are unbeaten against Stoke City in their last 3 meetings in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Evan Ferguson
There is a period when a young striker like Evan Ferguson rises to the occasion, and there is another when he starts feeling the pressure and keeps a steady trajectory downward. The Irish international has not scored in his last six Premier League games, which might cause Roberto De Zerbi some worry, but he will want him to shine in the cup competition.
Ferguson also has the chance to improve his form up front when Brighton takes on a team like Stoke. He also scored the winner in this fixture against the same opposition, and this time out, he will want more from this game than before, mainly to improve his own form in front of the goal.
Prediction
Stoke City 0-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion made West Ham United work hard to keep a clean sheet as they were a solid attacking force. But the persistent issues about not scoring consistently continued for De Zerbi. The Italian will hope that is not the case against Stoke, as he will want the game wrapped up nice and early.
Stoke are coming into this game on the back of a decent run of form under their new manager. But they are also struggling to score goals, especially on home turf. They have failed to find the net in seven of their last eleven home games. This might just be their eighth one, as Brighton is a favourite to take a win and keep a clean sheet.
