Brentford will host Brighton & Hove Albion at the Gtech Community Stadium, looking to get their stuttering campaign back on track.
Brentford will be under pressure to grind out a win over Brighton & Hove Albion, and the home fans will be expecting a strong reaction from the players. It will be interesting to see if the Bees can end their winless run here.
Meanwhile, Brighton are ninth in the league table, and they are coming into this game on the back of a narrow defeat against Liverpool. The Seagulls will look to bounce back strongly and grind out a win away from home.
Brentford have been quite poor in recent weeks, and Brighton will certainly fancy their chances. They will look to pile further misery on the home team. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Brentford
Joshua Dasilva is ruled out for the season with a knee injury. Rico Henry and Ben Mee will return in June from knee and ankle injuries, respectively. Ethan Pinnock and Christian Norgaard will be back in action next week after stepping up their recoveries.
Brentford will start in a 3-5-2 formation, with Mark Flekken in goal. In the back three, Zanka will start alongside Kristoffer Ajer and Nathan Collins. Mads Roerslev and Sergio Reguilon should feature as the wing-backs. They will help out in the attack and provide cover to the back three as well.
Mathias Jensen will start in the midfield trifecta along with Vitaly Janelt and Yehor Yarmoliuk. The three players will look to break down the opposition’s attacking moves and protect the defensive unit. Bryan Mbeumo will lead the line along with Ivan Toney here.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Flekken; Zanka, Collins, Ajer; Roerslev, Janelt, Jensen, Yarmoliuk, Reguilon; Mbeumo, Toney
Brighton & Hove Albion
Solly March will return in June from his knee injury, while Jack Hinshelwood has a similar return time frame as well due to his ankle injury. Kaoru Mitoma is ruled out for the season with a lower back problem, while Billy Gilmour is unlikely to play again this season because of a knee injury. James Milner is sidelined for a few weeks with a thigh injury.
The Seagulls will shape up in a 3-4-3 formation, with Bart Verbruggen in goal. In the back three, Joel Veltman will start alongside Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke. Tariq Lamptey and Pervis Estupinan will be deployed as the wing-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch.
Pascal Gross will start in the middle unit along with Carlos Baleba. They will look to control proceedings in the middle of the park and help out defensively. Danny Welbeck was on the score sheet at Anfield, and he will lead the line once again, with Simon Adingra and Facundo Buonanotte on either side of him. They will look to add pace and flair to the side.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, Van Hecke; Lamptey, Baleba, Gross, Estupinan; Adingra, Welbeck, Buonanotte
Key Stats
- Brighton & Hove Albion have scored at least two goals in their last three matches against Brentford in all competitions.
- Brentford have failed to win their last seven matches in the Premier League.
- Brentford have seen under 2.5 goals in five of their last six home matches against Brighton & Hove Albion in all competitions.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have failed to win four of their last 6 Premier League matches.
- 16 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
Player to Watch
Ivan Toney
The 28-year-old England international is our key player to watch out for. Brentford are lacking in confidence and momentum right now, and they will look to their best player to help them bounce back.
Toney could make a big difference with his link-up play and finishing ability in the final third. The Englishman has four goals and an assist since returning from his long betting suspension, and he will look to to make his mark here.
Prediction
Brentford 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Brentford will be desperate to turn things around and get their season back on track. However, they are lacking in form and confidence. Brighton & Hove Albion put on an impressive display against Liverpool at the weekend despite losing the game.
If they can put in a similar performance, they should be able to grind out an impressive result. The away side are the better team here, and they will be expected to pick up a narrow win. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Roberto De Zerbi and his charges.
