Brighton & Hove Albion will host Wolves at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, hoping to return to winning and ways keep pushing for European qualification.
Brighton & Hove Albion are eighth in the Premier League table, and they are coming into this game vs Wolves on the back of a defeat against Newcastle United. Prior to that, the Seagulls had picked up four wins and a draw from five Premier League games. They will be desperate to bounce back strongly here.
Fabian Hurzeler’s charges are the better team, and they will certainly fancy their chances at home. On the other hand, Wolves have been relegated after a disastrous campaign. Rob Edwards’s men are without a win in the last five Premier League games, and this will be a difficult challenge for them.
The Black Country outfit have nothing to play for, and they may be lacking motivation. This will be a difficult game for them, and Brighton & Hove Albion will look to pick up all three points. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Brighton & Hove Albion
The hosts will be without Adam Webster and Stefanos Tzimas this weekend due to their knee injuries. Meanwhile, James Milner has a knock, and Solly March is struggling with a muscular problem. Mats Wieffer misses out with an ankle injury.
Brighton & Hove Albion are likely to shape up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation vs Wolves, with Bart Verbruggen in goal. Joel Veltman and Ferdi Kadioglu will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and help out in the final third. Meanwhile, Jan Paul van Hecke and Lewis Dunk will form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Pascal Gross and Carlos Baleba will look to add defensive cover and drive from the side in midfield. Georginio Rutter will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to help create opportunities in the final third.
Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma will start on the flanks. They will look to add pace and unpredictability to the attack. Finally, Danny Welbeck will spearhead the Brighton & Hove Albion attack vs Wolves on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, van Hecke, Kadioglu; Gross, Baleba; Mitoma, Rutter, Minteh; Welbeck
Wolves
The away side will be without Jose Sa (ankle), Leon Chiwome (knee), Enso Gonzalez Medina (knee), Ladislav Krejci (neck), and Sam Johnstone (shoulder). Wolves are likely to shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation vs Brighton & Hove Albion, with Dan Bentley in goal.
In the back three, Toti Gomes will start alongside Pedro Lima and Santiago Bueno. Jackson Tchatchoua and Hugo Bueno will start as the wing-backs here. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit the Seagulls on the break.
As for the midfield unit, Joao Gomes and Andre Trindade will add defensive cover and control from the middle of the park. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Mateus Mane will start as the attacking midfielders here.
The advanced duo will add width, place and flair to the team and help create opportunities for their teammates. Finally, Adam Armstrong will lead the line for Wolves vs Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Bentley; Lima, Toti Gomes, Santiago Bueno; Tchatchoua, Joao Gomes, Andre, Hugo Bueno; Bellegarde, Mane; Armstrong
Key Stats
- Danny Welbeck has scored in two of his last three appearances vs Wolves in the Premier League.
- Brighton & Hove Albion are without a defeat in five of their last six matches in the Premier League.
- Brighton are unbeaten in their last eight league games against Wolves (W5 D3) since a 1-0 home loss in December 2021. Meanwhile, Wolves have lost just one of their last six away league games against the Seagulls (W1 D4), going down 6-0 in April 2023.
- Wolves have failed to win five of their last six matches in the Premier League. Additionally, they are winless in their last 19 away Premier League matches (D5 L14). The Black Country outfit last had a longer away winless league run between April 2003 and August 2004 (23 games).
- Wolverhampton Wanderers have scored just seven goals in 17 away Premier League matches this season, an average of just 0.41 per game. Only Norwich City in 2019/20 have averaged fewer goals per away game in a single season (7 in 19 games, 0.37).
Player to Watch
Danny Welbeck
The veteran English striker has been exceptional this season, and he is our key player to watch out for. Wolves have been quite poor defensively, and Welbeck is likely to get opportunities to find the back of the net here.
The 35-year-old has been involved in 14 Premier League goals this season for Brighton (13 goals, 1 assist), the most by a player aged 34+ in a season since 2021/22, when both Cristiano Ronaldo (18 goals, 3 assists) and Jamie Vardy (15 goals, 2 assists) did so. It is also the joint most by Welbeck in a campaign, along with 2024/25 (10 goals, 4 assists).
Welbeck will look to create chances for his teammates and find the back of the net. The experienced Englishman is in impressive form, and Brighton will depend on him to make a defining impact in the final third and help them pick up all three points.
Prediction
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 Wolves
Brighton & Hove Albion are undoubtedly the better team, and they are likely to come out on top here. Wolves are lacking in form and confidence right now. This should be a difficult outing for the away side, and they are likely to come up short.
The hosts have enough quality in the attacking unit, and they should be able to punish the visitors. A comfortable victory for the home team is on the cards this weekend. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Fabian Hurzeler and his charges.