Brighton & Hove Albion head to Carrow Road for their FA Cup opener, and Fabian Hurzeler will aim to beat Norwich City and get a foothold in the competition.
Championship mid-table side Norwich City are far away from their dream of making it back to the Premier League, but they might try their luck in the FA Cup, starting with the game against Brighton & Hove Albion. The Canaries are a team on the ascendancy following four games without losing and taking 10 points of the 12 available during the festive period.
Back-to-back wins over Luton Town and Coventry City have given Johannes Thorup’s men some much-needed momentum for their home FA Cup clash with Premier League opponents Brighton. A win here in this contest will boost their confidence to the next level, and that will be needed should Norwich aim to finish within the playoff spots higher up the table.
However, the Canaries are winless against the Seagulls in their last four meetings and failed to score a goal in those encounters, something Thorup will want to change on Saturday. Hence, the game against Brighton is important for Norwich, who will want to progress in the competition for the time being, although they might not be thinking of the unthinkable, that is, winning the whole thing.
Brighton, on the other hand, need to improve their form and have failed to win their last eight games across all competitions, although all of those have been in the Premier League. The last time the Seagulls took the pitch, they managed a draw against title-chasing Arsenal, albeit in controversial circumstances.
Joao Pedro’s controversial second-half penalty for a clash of heads with William Saliba helped Brighton cancel out an Ethan Nwaneri opener. Some might argue that the Seagulls could have won it in the end, but the reality is that they barely threatened the Arsenal defence all game.
The FA Cup could bring about a chance for Fabian Hurzeler to end a dreadful winless run and bring about some momentum in this side ahead of a crucial period. The Austrian manager will also want to give the team the chance to progress as much in the competition as they will target a win.
Team News & Tactics
Norwich City
There are some injury problems in the side for the Canaries, with Anis Ben Slimane, Gabriel Forsyth, Josh Sargent, and Liam Gibbs all absent for this clash against Brighton. Jacob Sorensen is a doubt through illness but is very much expected to return to the side, albeit on the bench.
Meanwhile, Borja Sainz has picked up a seven-match ban for spitting at Chris Mepham in December. Johannes Thorup did not have any sympathy for the Spanish winger after he received his sanction.
Thorup will likely field an attacking setup against the Premier League side, with Marcelino Nunez, Kenny McLean and Amankwah Forson set to feature in their midfield setup. Shane Duffy and Callum Doyle are the preferred centre-backs for Norwich, with Kellen Fisher and Ben Chrisene in the full-back roles.
Up front, Lewis Dobbin will lead the line for the Canaries, with Onel Hernandez and Kaide Gordon operating in the wide areas of the front three, with the latter replacing the suspended Sainz.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Gunn; Fisher, Duffy, Doyle, Chrisene; Nunez, McLean, Forson; Hernandez, Dobbin, Gordon
Brighton & Hove Albion
Fabian Hurzeler has no respite from a long injury list as Brighton & Hove Albion continue to miss a host of players ahead of their FA Cup opener away at Norwich City. As many as nine players are likely to miss, although there might be a late assessment of the fitness of skipper Lewis Dunk following his absence against Arsenal with a tight hamstring.
Igor Julio also went off in that game and remains a doubt for this one, although once again, Hurzeler will decide on the Brazilian following a late test. Given the number of absentees the manager has to deal with, the likelihood of using the same set of players remains high. Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma could start on the wings, while Joao Pedro might lead the line with Georginio Rutter in the No.10 role.
The impressive Carlos Baleba will lead the midfield charge alongside Jakub Moder. Adam Webster, who replaced IGor in the Arsenal clash, is likely to get the nod to start alongside Jan Paul van Hecke in central defence, while Tariq Lamptey might return to the fold alongside Pervis Estupinan in the full-back roles. Jason Steele might get the nod for this cup tie over Bart Verbruggen in goal.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Steele; Lapmtey, Van Hecke, Webster, Estupinan; Baleba, Moder; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Pedro
Key Stats
- Norwich City are undefeated in their last four games in the Championship.
- Norwich are winless against Brighton in their last 4 encounters in all competitions.
- Brighton have kept a clean sheet on their last 4 meetings with Norwich in all competitions.
- Brighton are winless in their last 8 games in the Premier League.
Player to Watch
Carlos Baleba
The midfielder has shown plenty of promise on multiple instances this season, and he has become a mainstay in the Brighton midfield. While the Seagulls go through an injury crisis, missing multiple players, Fabian Hurzeler will hope to have Baleba fit for as long as possible.
He might not be the ideal choice to start this game under different circumstances, but with the depleted options in the position, Hurzeler will be forced to do so. Baleba will be crucial to Brighton’s chances to progress, as the midfielder will be expected to dominate the central zones against the lower-league opposition.
Prediction
Norwich City 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Norwich City will surely come into this clash as underdogs, although their current form suggests they will be competitive against the Seagulls. However, the massive gulf in quality might prove a catalyst in this encounter, with Brighton expected to take a win into the next round.
Brighton are also under pressure to win a game of football following an incredible winless run spanning eight games. Meanwhile, they will also want a concerted cup run and might be grateful for drawing up Championship opposition in their opening round. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Fabian Hurzeler and his charges.
