Brighton & Hove Albion open their Premier League season with a home game against Fulham, with either side eager to kick-start their campaign on a positive note.
Brighton & Hove Albion are currently on the best run of opening games of a season ahead of the visit of Fulham, with four consecutive victories to show for their cause. Fabian Hurzeler will hope he makes it five, and continues a strong run of form that saw them finish in eighth place last season. Since their disastrous 7-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, the Seagulls have scored more goals than any other team and accumulated the third most points compared to others.
There was a sense of disappointment around the Amex after last summer’s investments and their lofty ambitions of finishing in European places. Hurzeler will aim to get his team back on track with regards to European qualifications this season, and will need a solid start to their campaign in the Premier League.
There have been a few changes at the Amex with regards to the squad, but Hurzeler believes he has the right quality to mount a challenge for a top-seven place. For now, the young manager will aim to beat Fulham at the Amex in their first game and set the tone for the next fixtures.
Meanwhile, Fulham will kick-start their fourth consecutive Premier League campaign since gaining promotion, and like their hosts, will want to start on a winning note. It has been a rather quiet summer at Craven Cottage, although many expect the Cottagers to accelerate their efforts to land new signings in the time remaining in the window.
Marco Silva did state he is very short on numbers, and that may push the club into action to bring in new faces. Backup keeper Benjamin Lecomte has been the only arrival at Craven Cottage, although Fulham have largely managed to keep hold of their key stars so far in the window, which will be seen as a positive from the manager’s perspective.
Silva would want a strong start to the campaign with a positive result, preferably a win at the Amex. Fulham have won just the one opening weekend game in their last eight seasons, although they do have a favourable record against Brighton, losing just the once in their last 10 meetings with Hurzeler’s men, which includes five wins and four draws.
Team News & Tactics
Brighton & Hove Albion
The Seagulls lost key attacker Joao Pedro and left-back Pervis Estupinan during the summer, with the pair signing for Chelsea and AC Milan, respectively. There are further rumours linking Matt O’Reilly with a move away, with Juventus in the mix, which could see the midfielder sit out of this clash.
The big news around the Amex is the future of Carlos Baleba, with Manchester United making a strong push for the midfielder. Hurzeler insisted he was hoping the midfielder continues at the club, but the transfer speculation might keep the Cameroonian star out of the squad at the weekend.
There have been a few key incomings, including Greek teenage sensation Charalampos Kostoulas, Belgian left-back Maxim De Cuyper, and experienced French defender Olivier Boscagli. Only De Cuyper is expected to start the game against Fulham, with the rest likely to stay on the bench.
Most of the starting lineup will be familiar to the fans, although there are some injuries for Hurzeler to contend with. Jack Hinshelwood is a doubt, while Tariq Lamptey, Solly March, Julio Enciso and Adam Webster are all ruled out of the contest.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Wieffer, van Hecke, Dunk, De Cuyper; Gomez, Ayari; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck
Fulham
Marco Silva has not been given new faces to improve the squad, which would make plenty of Fulham fans suspect they could see a very familiar lineup against Brighton & Hove Albion. There are some injuries for Silva to contend with, as Antonee Robinson will miss out.
Robinson did not feature during pre-season and, having undergone knee surgery, Fulham hope he will be back in action by the end of August. Ryan Sessegnon should deputise for the injured left-back, while Kenny Tete, who signed a new deal in the summer, will start in the right-back role. Joachim Andersen and Calvin Bassey are the centre-backs for Fulham.
The other positions are all the more predictable given how Silva has used those players last season. The central midfield will probably comprise Sander Berge and Sasa Lukic, while Emile Smith Rowe should play in the attacking midfield role.
Harry Wilson will start on the right flank ahead of Adama Traore, while Alex Iwobi is the main contender for the left wing. Silva also confirmed that Rodrigo Muniz is in contention to play this clash despite transfer speculation linking the striker with Atalanta. However, Raul Jimenez is expected to lead the line for Fulham from the start.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon; Berge, Lukic; Wilson, Smith-Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez
Key Stats
- Brighton & Hove Albion have won four consecutive opening weekend games.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have won their last three matches in the Premier League.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have scored at least two goals in six of their last seven matches in the Premier League.
- Fulham have lost only one of their ten Premier League meetings with Brighton & Hove Albion.
- Fulham have only won one of their last seven away league visits to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Player to Watch
Georginio Rutter
The German attacker will have more of a focus on him since the departure of Pedro during the summer. Hurzeler will miss the latter’s qualities, but Rutter has what it takes to establish himself as one of the key men for Brighton this season.
Brighton are probably expected to bring in a top attacker before the window shuts, but given their current options, Rutter could be tasked with the burden to get this team going and probably even score plenty of goals for the side.
Prediction
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Fulham
Marco Silva’s side may have a decent record against the Seagulls, but they might be slightly under pressure in what could be an intense clash between these two teams. Fulham do have a strong enough squad to get a result at the Amex, but they have not won at this ground more than once in their last seven visits.
Fabian Hurzeler’s men have momentum from how they ended last season and their pre-season form to take into this game. Despite their squad losing key stars, Brighton & Hove Albion are still expected to get a win over Fulham and extend their run of victories on the opening game of the season to five. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Hurzeler and his charges.