After suffering a hefty defeat against Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion will look to return to winning ways when they take on Southampton in the penultimate game of the season.
After two straight away matches, Brighton & Hove Albion will be back at the Amex Stadium to welcome bottom-of-the-table Southampton in the Premier League this Sunday, hoping to get their European push back on track.
The Seagulls have been hit and miss in recent weeks. But they remain in pole position to finish in the European spots. Across their last three games, Brighton have lost 5-1 at home to relegation-battlers Everton, thumped Arsenal 3-0, and then lost 4-1 at Newcastle United.
Brighton are sixth as we head into the penultimate weekend of action. And while they have a game in hand, that is against champions-elect Manchester City in midweek. They have one week left to seal their first-ever taste of European football, starting with a straightforward clash against already-relegated Southampton.
Southampton are heading into this game off the back of a terrible run, which resulted in their demotion to the Championship. Furthermore, the Saints will not be able to finish higher than where they are currently, at the foot of the league table.
It is safe to say the Saints have gone down with a whimper. Since winning two of their first three Premier League games under new boss Ruben Selles, they have won none of their last 11 under the Spaniard, losing eight. They are on the longest winless streak in the top division, and they head into this clash on the back of four defeats in a row.
The streak includes a 4-3 defeat at the hands of direct relegation rivals Nottingham Forest in the previous away outing that proved to be the nail in the coffin.
Team News & Tactics
Brighton & Hove Albion
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Levi Colwill is back available after missing the midweek loss at Newcastle United due to fatigue. Joel Veltman could also make his return after sitting out four games with a thigh issue, while goalkeeper Robert Sanchez is set to be left out of the squad once again amid speculation of a move away from the Amex.
Jason Steele would continue in goal ahead of Sanchez. Roberto De Zerbi will stick with the back four of Moises Caicedo, Lewis Dunk, Colwill, and Pervis Estupinan. The Italian manager might prefer to start Billy Gilmour and Pascal Gross in midfield in a double pivot.
Julio Enciso, Alexis Mac Allister, and Evan Ferguson all started the Newcastle game on the bench. So they will be fresh and raring to make an impact from the get-go here. Mac Allister, who has been the subject of heavy transfer speculation lately, will play the advanced No. 10 role for the Seagulls.
Mitoma and Enciso will complete the front three for Brighton, with Evan Ferguson again leading the line. Deniz Undav, who scored at both ends of the pitch last time out, and Danny Welbeck will be the attacking options available on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Steele; Gross, Dunk, Colwill, Estupinan; Caicedo, Gilmour; Enciso, Mac Allister, Mitoma; Ferguson
Southampton
In his pre-match press conference, Southampton manager Ruben Selles made it clear that he will only remain at the club if he is appointed the permanent manager.
While that remains to be seen, he will be hoping to have striker Che Adams back for the trip along the south coast. But defenders Armel Bella-Kotchap (hamstring), Romain Perraud (ankle), Juan Larios (thigh), and Mohammed Salisu (groin) are ruled out for this season.
In a rare feel-good news around the Saints, talented full-back Tino Livramento will finally be back in Southampton’s squad for their game against Brighton on Sunday, after missing almost a year since his ACL injury.
Southampton x Premier League
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Selles could continue to deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation here. Gavin Bazunu will return in between the sticks for the visitors. With Perraud unavailable, it clears the way for Kyle Walker-Peters and Ainsley Maitland-Niles to start together on their preferred defensive flanks. Meanwhile, Salisu remains unavailable, so Jan Bednarek and Lyanco should start again in central defence at the Amex Stadium.
Romeo Lavia and James Ward-Prowse will anchor the midfield together, with a fluid attacking quartet in front of them. Carlos Alcaraz, Stuart Armstrong, and Kamaldeen Sulemana will be playing their typical floating forward roles, with Sekou Mara playing the false number nine role.
A number of academy prospects, including teenage trio Samuel Amo-Ameyaw, Dominic Ballard, and Kami Doyle, are pushing to make their Premier League debuts.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Lyanco, Maitland-Niles; Ward-Prowse, Lavia; Sulemana, Alcaraz, Stuart Armstrong; Mara
Key Stats
- Brighton & Hove Albion are undefeated in their last four meetings against Southampton, registering a 3-1 win in the reverse fixture in December.
- Southampton have lost seven of their last eight league outings, conceding at least two goals in six of their last seven league games.
- Four of Brighton’s last five matches have seen over 3.5 goals.
- The Seagulls have only won four of their last 18 Premier League home games against sides in the relegation zone (D10 L4).
- James Ward-Prowse is one short of matching David Beckham’s Premier League record of 18 goals from direct free-kicks.
Player to Watch
Evan Ferguson
It is pretty frightening that the Republic of Ireland international is only 18 years old; he is already quite far along in the development process. And his emergence means Brighton are no longer lacking a clinical striker. Ferguson made his first start in the Premier League at the beginning of 2023 and has gone from strength to strength since.
Enjoying a fine breakout season, he has produced eight goals and three assists in just over 1300 minutes for the Seagulls across all competitions. His decision to pen a new long-term contract at Brighton for a few more years is a smart one, as it would help him get regular minutes at the Amex, which is vital to continuing his rapid progress. He will look to finish the season strongly amid rumours linking him with a summer move to European top guns like Manchester United and AS Roma.
Prediction
Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 Southampton
Brighton have been inconsistent in their recent games. Their style of play, however, does lead to wild swings in terms of their scorelines. But they head into Sunday aiming to find some consistency in their European push. And this looks like a game they will prevail in. Southampton have scored seven times across their last three away games, conceding 10. So goals could be the order of the day in this south coast derby.
Local bragging rights are on the line. So an entertaining contest is on the cards, with the Saints perhaps punching above their weight, and scoring a fair few goals in this one now that their fate is sealed and there’s no pressure cloud hanging over their heads.
