Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth will be desperate for three points when they clash at the Amex Stadium on Monday.
The curtains will fall on Gameweek 22 of the 2025/26 season on Monday with Brighton & Hove Albion vs Bournemouth at the Amex Stadium, with the two teams eager to secure crucial wins to scale the heights of the Premier League.
Brighton & Hove Albion have endured a topsy-turvy ride, as they have usually done since securing promotion to the Premier League nearly a decade ago. However, Fabian Hurzeler’s men have embarked on a four-match unbeaten run that has produced some momentum. The latest positive result was a 2-1 win over Manchester United, which helped the Seagulls secure a spot in the FA Cup fourth round.
On the other hand, Bournemouth’s satisfaction at beating Tottenham Hotspur in Gameweek 21 was short-lived, as they bowed out of the FA Cup in the third round after losing to Newcastle United on penalties. Meanwhile, the win over Tottenham had ended an 11-game run without victory, and Andoni Iraola will hope his charges can embark on an unbeaten run in the top flight, akin to the one in the first quarter of the 2025/26 season.
The reverse fixture saw Bournemouth eke a narrow 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, with Antoine Semenyo scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Brighton & Hove Albion
Fabian Hurzeler has received positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Brighton & Hove Albion manager will be bereft of the services of only four first-team players vs Bournemouth on Monday.
Carlos Baleba is available after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, while Yankuba Minteh has recovered from a hamstring injury. However, Adam Webster (knee), Mats Wieffer (toe), Solomon March (knee), and Stefanos Tzimas (knee) remain in the treatment room.
Bart Verbruggen is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Brighton & Hove Albion lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Bournemouth on Monday. The backline will feature Joel Veltman, Jan Paul van Hecke, Lewis Dunk, and Ferdi Kadioglu.
As for the midfield unit, Yasin Ayari and Pascal Gross will pair up in the double pivot, with Carlos Baleba being a backup option on the bench. Diego Gomez will reprise the no. 10 role, with Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh being the two wide attackers. Finally, Georginio Rutter will lead the line for Brighton against Bournemouth, with Danny Welbeck being a substitute.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu; Ayari, Gross; Minteh, Gomez, Mitoma; Rutter
Bournemouth
Unlike his counterpart in the Brighton & Hove Albion dugout, Andoni Iraola has new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to the Amex Stadium. The Bournemouth manager may be without eight first-team players on Monday.
Enes Unal is the latest absentee after sustaining a groin injury in the FA Cup clash with Newcastle United. Iraola is also sweating over David Brooks’s fitness after he twisted his ankle in the same game. Matai Akinmboni (knock), Will Dennis (ankle), Tyler Adams (knee), Justin Kluivert (knee), and Ben Gannon-Doak (thigh) remain in the treatment room. However, Ryan Christie may return on Monday.
Djordje Petrovic is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Bournemouth lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday. The backline will feature James Hill, Bafode Diakite, Marcos Senesi, and Adrien Truffert.
As for the midfield unit, Lewis Cook will pair up with Alex Scott in the double pivot. Eli Junior Kroupi will reprise the no. 10 role, with Alex Jimenez and Marcus Tavernier being the two wide attackers. Finally, Evanilson will spearhead the Bournemouth attack against Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Smith, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Scott, Cook; Jimenez, Kroupi, Tavernier; Evanilson
Key Stats
- Brighton & Hove Albion have lost just one of their six Premier League home games vs Bournemouth (W4 D1), winning the four meetings since a 5-0 defeat in April 2019. However, following their 2-1 win at the Vitality Stadium in September, the Cherries will aim to complete only their second Premier League double over Brighton after 2018/19.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have lost only two of their last 18 Premier League home games (W10 D6), with both defeats in that time coming against Aston Villa.
- Bournemouth’s 3-2 win over Tottenham in Gameweek 21 ended an 11-game winless run in the Premier League (D5 L6). They last won consecutive Premier League games in August, a run of three with the final two coming against Tottenham and Brighton.
- Only Aston Villa (12) have scored more goals from outside the box in the Premier League than Bournemouth this season, with the Cherries’ 11 already their most in a top-flight campaign.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have avoided defeat in more games when conceding first than any other side in the Premier League this term (7 – W3 D4). Meanwhile, no side has failed to win more games when scoring first in the 2025/26 season than Bournemouth (6 – D4 L2).
Player to Watch
Kaoru Mitoma
While Eli Junior Kroupi, Evanilson, and FPL budget buy recommendation Ferdi Kadiouglu were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Kaoru Mitoma as the Player to Watch for Monday’s Premier League clash between Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth at the Amex Stadium.
The Japanese international has scored more Premier League goals against Bournemouth than any other opponent (5). Mitoma will play his 100th Premier League game on Monday, becoming the third Japanese player to reach the milestone after Maya Yoshida (154) and Shinji Okazaki (114). He will aim to resurrect a frustrating campaign with the clash against his favourite opposing team on Monday.
Prediction
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Bournemouth
Bournemouth’s challenge has become stiffer since losing Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City, and the lack of quality on both ends will trouble them for the remainder of the 2025/26 season unless they sign a few players this month. However, Brighton & Hove Albion often concede goals despite being at their best.
The Seagulls have scored and conceded in 41 of their 59 Premier League games under Fabian Hurzeler, a ratio of 69.5 per cent, the highest of any manager to take charge of 50+ games in the competition’s history. Andoni Iraola is not too far behind with 61.9 per cent (60/97), and a closely-contested affair is on the cards.
However, the hosts should have enough quality to eke out a narrow victory and exact revenge after losing the reverse fixture at the Vitality Stadium. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Hurzeler and his charges.
