Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham will be eager to continue their winning runs when they face off at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
The 2024/25 Premier League season continues this weekend with Gameweek 28. The latest round of fixtures will start with the game between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City before the action on Saturday continues with three simultaneous fixtures, including Brighton & Hove Albion vs Fulham.
Brighton & Hove Albion were hot off the gates under Fabian Hurzeler, with the highly-rated manager making an early impression in the 2024/25 season. However, the Seagulls have blown hot and cold in the last few months, although their form has spectacularly turned around in their recent outings.
Hurzeler’s charges are on a three-game winning run in the Premier League, and they come into Saturday’s top-flight match on the back of a 2-1 win over Newcastle United in the FA Cup fifth round. Fulham also qualified for the FA Cup quarter-final last weekend, beating Manchester United on penalties after the tie ended in a 1-1 draw.
While the Cottagers have endured a few surprising defeats in the Premier League of late, they are on course to finish in the top half of the table. Marco Silva’s men are currently ninth in the standings, and a top-four finish is also possible, with fourth-placed Manchester City only five points ahead of the West London outfit.
The reverse fixture saw Fulham clinch a 3-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, even though the Seagulls had better metrics. In addition, Marco Silva’s men managed only two shots on target but still managed three strikes. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Brighton & Hove Albion
Fabian Hurzeler has a new roster issue that is hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Brighton & Hove Albion manager might be bereft of the services of as many as eight first-team players vs Fulham on Saturday.
Tariq Lamptey is the latest absentee after seeing red in the FA Cup clash with Newcastle United last weekend. The Ghanaian international accompanies Jason Steele (shoulder), Lewis Dunk (rib), Joel Veltman (knock), Ferdi Kadioglu (ankle), Igor Julio (hamstring), and James Milner (thigh) on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Matt O’Riley requires a late fitness test to determine his availability.
Bart Verbruggen is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Brighton & Hove Albion lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Fulham on Saturday. The backline should feature Jack Hinshelwood, Jan Paul van Hecke, Adam Webster, and Pervis Estupinan.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Carlos Baleba and Yasin Ayari in the double pivot. Joao Pedro will reprise the no. 10 role and pull the strings for the home side. Finally, Danny Welbeck will spearhead the Brighton attack against Fulham on Saturday, with Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Hinshelwood, van Hecke, Webster, Estupinan; Baleba, Ayari; Minteh, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck
Fulham
Like his counterpart in the Brighton & Hove Albion dugout, Marco Silva has a new injury concern to worry about ahead of the trip to the Amex Stadium. The Fulham manager might be without five first-team players on Saturday.
Silva is sweating over Adama Traore’s fitness, with the Spanish international recovering from a knock on his ankle. In addition, Sasa Lukic will serve a suspension after picking up his tenth yellow card of the 2024/25 Premier League season last week against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Serbian midfielder accompanies Kenny Tete (knee), Harry Wilson (foot) and Reiss Nelson (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Bernd Leno will take his spot between the sticks, with Fulham lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. The backline should feature Timothy Castagne, Joachim Andersen, Calvin Bassey, and Antonee Robinson.
As for the midfield unit, Andreas Pereira will deputise for Lukic in the double pivot, pairing up with Sander Berge in the middle of the park. Emile Smith Rowe will reprise the no. 10 role, with Alex Iwobi and Willian being the two wide attackers. Finally, there is no looking past Raul Jimenez as the central striker for the away side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Pereira; Iwobi, Smith Rowe, Willian; Jimenez
Key Stats
- Brighton & Hove Albion have won none of their nine Premier League games vs Fulham (D4 L5), the most times they have faced an opponent without winning and the highest instances the Cottagers have met a team without losing in the competition.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have won their last three Premier League games. Only once have the Seagulls ever won four consecutive top-flight matches, doing so in April/May 1981.
- Fulham have won their three most recent Premier League away games, last winning more successive matches in the top flight in March/April 1966 (5). Their tally of six wins on the road this season is already their second-most in a Premier League campaign (7 in 2022/23).
- Fulham have scored in their last 12 Premier League away games, finding the back of the net twice in their six most recent top-flight outings on the road. It is their longest run of scoring multiple goals on the road in top-flight history, while only once have they had a longer overall scoring streak (14 between September 1959 and April 1960).
- Joao Pedro has scored the opening goal in Brighton’s two most recent Premier League wins, and the Brazilian could net in three successive league matches for the first time in his top-flight career.
Player to Watch
Raul Jimenez
While Alex Iwobi, Joao Pedro, and the in-form Kaoru Mitoma were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Raul Jimenez as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s game between Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham at the Amex Stadium.
The Mexican international has not been as prolific or clinical as Marco Silva would have liked. However, all nine of Jimenez’s Premier League goals this season have either put Fulham ahead (6) or drawn them level (3) in the match, the most any player has netted without losing. So, Silva will hope the experienced striker has his scoring boots on this weekend.
Prediction
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 Fulham
Considering the two teams’ goalscoring and defensive records, Saturday’s match is shaping up to be an end-to-end affair that should keep the scorers busy. Brighton & Hove Albion will be eager to end their search for a Premier League win over Fulham. On the other hand, the Cottagers have an excellent record on the road.
However, Fabian Hurzeler’s men are on a roll, with Brighton & Hove Albion being one of the most in-form teams in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Fulham’s scoring record in away games in the Premier League is exceptional. All that means that there might not be much to separate the two teams. So, The Hard Tackle predicts a pulsating clash to end in a 2-2 draw.
