Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham will aim to close the gap to Tottenham Hotspur when they meet at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
The games continue to come thick and fast across Europe, with Gameweek 24 of the 2022/23 Premier League season kicking off this weekend. Aston Villa and Arsenal will set the ball rolling at Villa Park. And the action will continue at the Amex Stadium, where Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham will face off.
Brighton & Hove Albion have moved on brilliantly from Graham Potter, with Roberto De Zerbi stamping his authority at the Amex Stadium. The 43-year-old has overseen subtle changes to improve the Seagulls, who have risen to sixth on the Premier League table. And the hosts are currently unbeaten in 2023, with the run stretching to seven games.
On the other hand, Fulham entered the 2022/23 season with the expectation of continuing the yo-yo trend. But the Cottagers have been top-notch under Marco Silva, who has steered the team to seventh in the Premier League standings. But the visitors have stuttered somewhat recently, managing only one win in four top-flight outings.
The reverse fixture saw Fulham eke out a narrow 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, with Lewis Dunk scoring the match-winning own goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Brighton & Hove Albion
Work work work! 💪 #BHAFC pic.twitter.com/cfM1uEXQJJ
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) February 16, 2023
Roberto De Zerbi does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Fulham on Saturday, the Brighton & Hove Albion manager will be bereft of the services of four first-team players.
Levi Colwill is the most notable absentee due to a thigh injury that will keep him sidelined for a few more weeks. Jakub Moder (knee) and Danny Welbeck (calf) are also unavailable for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Adam Lallana faces a race against time to recover from a knock in time for the game.
There is no looking past Robert Sanchez between the sticks, with Brighton lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. De Zerbi has altered his system in Colwill’s absence, with Adam Webster and Lewis Dunk pairing up as the centre-backs. Meanwhile, Tariq Lamptey and Pervis Estupinan will likely start as the full-backs.
Estupinan, in particular, will be a crucial member of Brighton’s gameplay due to his output in the final third. Meanwhile, Moises Caicedo is back in the fold after his transfer saga last month. And the Ecuadorian international will hold the fort in the middle of the park, with Alexis Mac Allister being his partner in the double pivot.
The World Cup winner will also look to contribute in more advanced areas when the hosts have possession. He will have a free role alongside Pascal Gross in those phases. Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma are the in-form players for Brighton and will provide the threat from the flanks. Finally, Evan Ferguson will spearhead the attack against Fulham.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Lamptey, Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Caicedo, Mac Allister; March, Gross, Mitoma; Ferguson
Fulham
Unlike his counterpart in the Brighton & Hove Albion dugout, Marco Silva has greeted some positive updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to the Amex Stadium. The Fulham boss will be without only two first-team players on Saturday.
Silva has been sweating over the fitness of Antonee Robinson (illness), Willian (calf), and Aleksandar Mitrovic (foot) this week. But the trio will likely be fit enough to take on Brighton this weekend. That leaves Tom Cairney (shin) and Neeskens Kebano (Achilles) as the only absentees for the visitors.
🗣 On @OfficialBHAFC: "We are going to face a team with high quality. They'll be really tough to play against but I believe they'll find it tough to play against us as well."#BHAFUL pic.twitter.com/H9ZYtHSUUX
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) February 16, 2023
Bernd Leno picks himself between the sticks, with Fulham lining up in a system similar to Brighton. Silva also prefers to use the 4-2-3-1, with the backline of Kenny Tete, Issa Diop, Tim Ream, and Robinson being certain starters for the Cottagers.
Harrison Reed and Joao Palhinha will pair up in the middle of the park, with the duo looking to keep things tight in the midfield battle. They will aim to neutralise the threat posed by Alexis Mac Allister and Pascal Gross.
Andreas Pereira will be the most advanced midfielder, and the Brazilian international will be eager to rediscover his early-season form. Bobby Decordova-Reid and Willian should be the two wide attackers, with Manor Solomon waiting in the wings to make his mark. Finally, Mitrovic should lead the line for Fulham against Brighton.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Decordova-Reid, Pereira, Willian; Mitrovic
Key Stats
- Brighton & Hove Albion have faced Fulham more often without ever winning than they have any other opponent in the Premier League (5 – D3 L2).
- Brighton & Hove Albion are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League home games against promoted sides (W4 D5), keeping a clean sheet in each of their last seven. Their last such defeat was in December 2019 against Sheffield United (0-1).
- Brighton & Hove Albion are unbeaten in their five Premier League games so far in 2023, winning three and drawing two. They last had a longer run without a league defeat at the start of a calendar year in 2012 (first 12).
- Fulham have won 10 Premier League games this season, with only Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur winning more. This is their most wins in a top-flight campaign since 2012/13 (11) and double the amount they won in their last Premier League season in 2020/21 (5).
- Including penalties, no side has scored more goals from set-piece situations in the Premier League this season than Fulham (15), while Brighton & Hove Albion have conceded a league-high share of 46.4% of their goals from set-pieces (13/28).
Player to Watch
Kaoru Mitoma
.@Kaoru_Mitoma in focus… 🎥✨ pic.twitter.com/wJZoCzdymz
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) February 17, 2023
Brighton & Hove Albion’s ability to replace players seamlessly is fascinating. The Seagulls recently lost Leandro Trossard to Arsenal but already had Kaoru Mitoma in the squad ready to replace the Belgian international.
The Japanese international has a PhD in dribbling and has used his education to good effect on the pitch. His exploits have also attracted some high-profile clubs, with Arsenal showing interest. But Mitoma will be focused on making his mark for Brighton. And his change of pace will be crucial in troubling the Fulham defence.
Prediction
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Fulham
The two teams are flying high this season and showing little signs of slowing down. They have taken advantage of Chelsea and Liverpool slipping up and might finish in the European places this term. So the three points on Saturday will be crucial for Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham.
The Seagulls are yet to beat Fulham in the Premier League. But they have been top-notch in 2023 and will continue their unbeaten run by ending their duck against the Cottagers. However, the visitors will not go down without a fight. And The Hard Tackle predicts a narrow 2-1 win for Roberto De Zerbi’s men.
A draw will be a fair results considering the two teams current form