Brighton & Hove Albion will look to continue the charge towards the Premier League top four when they take on Bournemouth on Tuesday.
Gameweek 29 of the 2022/23 Premier League season will continue on Tuesday as the rescheduled matches take centre stage. Tuesday will showcase four games, with the action kicking off at the Vitality Stadium, where Bournemouth will lock horns with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Bournemouth would have come into the 2022/23 season with the primary objective of evading immediate relegation. And while the Cherries are in a dogfight to remain out of the drop zone, they have their fate in their hands. Gary O’Neil has done a decent job since replacing Scott Parker, and his men have won two of their last three games.
On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion have come leaps and bounds under Roberto De Zerbi. The Seagulls’ fans might have been nervous when Graham Potter departed just a month into the new season. But De Zerbi has done an arguably better job than Potter.
Incredibly, Potter is out of a job after Chelsea sacked him on Sunday. And De Zerbi is a candidate to replace the former Brighton boss at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, the visitors are in contention to seal European qualification as they currently sit in the sixth spot on the Premier League table.
The reverse fixture saw Brighton eke out a 1-0 win over Bournemouth, with Kaoru Mitoma scoring the match-winner. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Bournemouth
New week, same goals ✨
Let's go 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/wokHukfLJ4
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) April 3, 2023
Gary O’Neil does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday, the Bournemouth manager will be bereft of the services of two first-team players.
Ryan Fredericks (calf) and Junior Stanislas (match fitness) remain on the sidelines for the foreseeable future. Otherwise, O’Neil has a full-strength squad at his disposal ahead of the game against Brighton.
Neto will take his usual spot between the sticks, with Bournemouth lining up in a 4-4-1-1 formation in front of the captain. And the defensive unit should remain unchanged following a resolute showing against Fulham. So Lloyd Kelly will start as a left-back again, with Adam Smith picking himself on the right flank.
Jack Stephens and Marcos Senesi will form the central defensive partnership. But the defensive unit will transform into a back three when the hosts charge forward, with Smith having more freedom.
Joe Rothwell and Jefferson Lerma will look to hold the fort in the middle of the park, aiming to contain Alexis Mac Allister. The duo will receive defensive support from Jaidon Anthony and Marcus Tavernier.
Meanwhile, the two wingers will look to catch Brighton off-guard with their directness. Meanwhile, the in-form Philip Billing will have the freedom to roam in the final third and express himself. Finally, Dominic Solanke will spearhead the Bournemouth attack against Brighton.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Neto; Smith, Stephens, Senesi, Kelly; Anthony, Rothwell, Lerma, Tavernier; Billing; Solanke
Brighton & Hove Albion
Unlike his counterpart in the Bournemouth dugout, Robert De Zerbi has a few pressing issues hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to the Vitality Stadium. The Brighton & Hove Albion manager might be without as many as four first-team players on Tuesday.
But there is some good news with Evan Ferguson fit enough to feature after recovering from a knock. But the teenage sensation might not be ready to return to the starting eleven. That might not be a problem after Danny Welbeck stepped up in his absence against Brentford.
Meanwhile, De Zerbi is sweating over the fitness of Tariq Lamptey, who has been recovering from a knee injury. But the Ghanaian international should be fit enough to make the matchday squad. However, Jakub Moder (knee), Adam Lallana (thigh), and Jeremy Sarmiento (ankle) miss out.
"Julio is ready to start. Sometimes he needs to think of the team, and not be individual, but that is normal.
"He has personality, he has courage. Facundo is the same, but he arrived more recently." #BHAFC pic.twitter.com/cosxFvqys8
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) April 3, 2023
Jason Steele will retain his spot in the Brighton goal as he continues his recent run in the team ahead of Robert Sanchez. And the veteran goalkeeper will see the Seagulls line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him.
Joel Veltman should start as the right-back again in Lamptey’s absence. Meanwhile, Adam Webster should replace Levi Colwill in the starting eleven, with the youngster still regaining full sharpness. Webster will join Lewis Dunk in the central defensive partnership. And the ever-rampant Pervis Estupinan will complete the defensive unit.
Meanwhile, Moises Caicedo will hold the fort in front of the backline, with Pascal Gross being the workhorse in the middle of the park. Alexis Mac Allister should reprise the no. 10 role again while embracing more defensive responsibility. Finally, Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March pick themselves as the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Steele; Veltman, Dunk, Webster, Estupinan; Gross, Caicedo; March, Mac Allister, Mitoma; Welbeck
Key Stats
- Bournemouth have won their last four home league games against Brighton & Hove Albion, including all three in the Premier League. Overall, they are unbeaten in six at home against the Seagulls since a 2-0 loss in October 2007.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have lost two of their four Premier League games against promoted sides this season (W1 D1), more than they had in their previous 15 such matches (W7 D7). They lost their last such game against Fulham, last losing consecutively against promoted teams in April 2019 (3 in a row).
- Brighton & Hove Albion are unbeaten in their most recent six Premier League away games (W3 D3) since a 3-1 loss at Manchester City in October. That is the longest current unbeaten run on the road in the competition. The Seagulls have only failed to score in one of their last 14 Premier League away games. But they have also failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their most recent ten.
- Bournemouth have won their last two Premier League home games, as many as in their previous 11 at Vitality Stadium (D4 L5). They have not won three in a row at home in the top flight since February 2018.
- Solly March has scored four goals in his last five away Premier League appearances. He had only scored two goals in his first 79 away top-flight games, although one of those was at Bournemouth in September 2017.
Player to Watch
Alexis Mac Allister
The Brighton & Hove Albion juggernaut under Roberto De Zerbi has produced several game-changers. But Alexis Mac Allister makes the team tick, with the World Cup winner making his mark on and off the ball.
The Argentine international’s work rate is second to none, and that often suffocates Brighton’s opponents. Mac Allister will look to rise to the occasion again to take Brighton a step closer to the top-four spots. And another game-changing performance will help the Seagulls show their fellow contenders they mean business.
Prediction
Bournemouth 1-3 Brighton & Hove Albion
Bournemouth will be on cloud nine following the win over Fulham this past weekend. But Brighton & Hove Albion present a different challenge. And considering it needed David Raya an astonishing 11 saves to help Brentford earn a point, the hosts are seemingly in for a long night.
The Cherries have faced more shots than any other Premier League side this season (467). And Brighton should pepper the Bournemouth goal with several efforts on Tuesday. That will likely break the hosts’ back and pave the way for a crucial win for Roberto De Zerbi and his charges. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 victory for the Seagulls.