Brighton (H) 3pm Saturday 21 December not on TV
Like Bournemouth Brighton have an impressive scoring record, 14 games since they failed to hit the back of the net, 26 in the league, just 2 less than City, and 9 in the Carabao (5 against Premier League opposition0 with 12 different players scoring.
Unlike Bournemouth they've not won in the last four with draws with Saints and Leicester, losses against Palace and Fulham. Ironically their last win was over Bournemouth
Some major changes over the summer, the biggest being Roberto De Zerbi leaving on a mutual (took over at Marseille 6 weeks later) and replaced by Fabian Hürzeler He normally plays 4-2-3-1 but tried 4-4-2 at home to Saints and 3-4-2-1 away at Fulham
There have been a few injuries recently, especially among the new arrivals, but apart from CB Adam Webster hey are all reported to be close to returning.
The biggest question mark is whether top scorer Danny Welbeck (7 goals in 13) will be fit. He picked up an ankle injury against Southampton, missed the game against Fulham, came on as a sub for 15 minutes against Leicester and was missing again against Palace because the wasn't “100%”
In his absence Hürzeler has tried Joao Pedro and Evan Ferguson up front but neither seems to haven't been a success.
Kaoru Mitoma has started 15 out of 16 EPL matches, more than any other player and is always a major threat down the left
The only new arrival to have a major impact is former French U21 FW Georginio Rutter, signed from Leeds for £40m who has started 12 of the last 13. He normally plays on the right but can also play up front or in the hole.
20yo Gambian RW Yankuba Minteh (£33m Newcastle) was settling in well, started five of seven then missed six games with a muscular problem followed by illness but returned to the starting line up at the weekend
RW Solly March has been out with a sever ACL since October 2023
As Oscar Wilde famously said “To lose one of your first choice central midfield duo may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness” but Pascal Gross (47 appearances last season, 6 goals in 12 games against us) and Billy Gilmour (41 appearances) both left in the summer
Brighton did splash some cash to replace them with Hounslow-born Danish CM Matthew O'Riley joining from Celtic for £25m while Dutch DM Matts Wieffer become Feyenoord's record outgoing transfer at £25.4m.
O'Riley lasted 8 minutes of his debut against Crawley in the Carabao before he was the recipient of an “agricultural” tackle that required surgery on his ankle. He returned at the start of November but suffered a knock and was left out of the squad at the weekend.
Wieffer started against Everton on the opening weekend then missed four matches with a thigh but while he has been available since then he has only been given three starts
England U21 LB/CM/DM Jack Hinshelwood has been out with a knee since the beginning of November while James Milner has been out with a hamstring since the end of August but will hopefully b fully fit for his 39th birthday in January.
With all these injuries Brighton have dipped into their almost endless supply of young players with Cameroon's 20yo DM Carlos Baleba and Swedish U21 CM Yasin Ayari starting as the central midfield two.
Hürzeler has played the same back four of Lamptey, van Hecke, Dunk and Estupinan for the last two games. CB/RB Joel Veltman has missed the last four games with a “minor issue” while Turkish LB Ferdi Kadioglu (Fenerbahce £25m) started five of the seven games he was available but has missed the last six games with a toe
In goal Bart Verbruggen has started 14 EPL games in a row while Jason Steele has been on the bench
Unlike Bournemouth they've not won in the last four with draws with Saints and Leicester, losses against Palace and Fulham. Ironically their last win was over Bournemouth
Some major changes over the summer, the biggest being Roberto De Zerbi leaving on a mutual (took over at Marseille 6 weeks later) and replaced by Fabian Hürzeler He normally plays 4-2-3-1 but tried 4-4-2 at home to Saints and 3-4-2-1 away at Fulham
There have been a few injuries recently, especially among the new arrivals, but apart from CB Adam Webster hey are all reported to be close to returning.
The biggest question mark is whether top scorer Danny Welbeck (7 goals in 13) will be fit. He picked up an ankle injury against Southampton, missed the game against Fulham, came on as a sub for 15 minutes against Leicester and was missing again against Palace because the wasn't “100%”
In his absence Hürzeler has tried Joao Pedro and Evan Ferguson up front but neither seems to haven't been a success.
Kaoru Mitoma has started 15 out of 16 EPL matches, more than any other player and is always a major threat down the left
The only new arrival to have a major impact is former French U21 FW Georginio Rutter, signed from Leeds for £40m who has started 12 of the last 13. He normally plays on the right but can also play up front or in the hole.
20yo Gambian RW Yankuba Minteh (£33m Newcastle) was settling in well, started five of seven then missed six games with a muscular problem followed by illness but returned to the starting line up at the weekend
RW Solly March has been out with a sever ACL since October 2023
As Oscar Wilde famously said “To lose one of your first choice central midfield duo may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness” but Pascal Gross (47 appearances last season, 6 goals in 12 games against us) and Billy Gilmour (41 appearances) both left in the summer
Brighton did splash some cash to replace them with Hounslow-born Danish CM Matthew O'Riley joining from Celtic for £25m while Dutch DM Matts Wieffer become Feyenoord's record outgoing transfer at £25.4m.
O'Riley lasted 8 minutes of his debut against Crawley in the Carabao before he was the recipient of an “agricultural” tackle that required surgery on his ankle. He returned at the start of November but suffered a knock and was left out of the squad at the weekend.
Wieffer started against Everton on the opening weekend then missed four matches with a thigh but while he has been available since then he has only been given three starts
England U21 LB/CM/DM Jack Hinshelwood has been out with a knee since the beginning of November while James Milner has been out with a hamstring since the end of August but will hopefully b fully fit for his 39th birthday in January.
With all these injuries Brighton have dipped into their almost endless supply of young players with Cameroon's 20yo DM Carlos Baleba and Swedish U21 CM Yasin Ayari starting as the central midfield two.
Hürzeler has played the same back four of Lamptey, van Hecke, Dunk and Estupinan for the last two games. CB/RB Joel Veltman has missed the last four games with a “minor issue” while Turkish LB Ferdi Kadioglu (Fenerbahce £25m) started five of the seven games he was available but has missed the last six games with a toe
In goal Bart Verbruggen has started 14 EPL games in a row while Jason Steele has been on the bench
Comments
Thank you
Webster back in training, Milner, Kadioglu and
Hinshelwood out
Welbeck “not in good shape”
Starting XI that day
Verbruggen
van Hecke Dunk Igor
Adingra Baleba Wieffer Estupinan
O'Riley Mitoma
Redro
Wouldn't be surprised if he tried it again, maybe with Veltman rather than Igor who started seven in a row after Webster was injured, but has been on the bench for the last two matches
Simon Adingra is one of those useful kids that Brighton seem to pick up with ease, 20yo Ivorian winger who can play on the left or right, only three starts in the league but scored in all three Carabao cup games.
Wan-Bissaka - Mavropanos - Kilman - Emerson
Álvarez - Souček
Bowen - Kudus - Paquetá
Füllkrug
COYI ⚒⚒⚒
Subs: Areola (GK), Scarles, Coufal, Todibo, Irving, Rodríguez, Luis Guilherme, Summerville, Ings
Fullkrug starts!!!!!
Veltman VanHecke Dunk Estupinan
Baleba Wieffer
Gruda Rutter Mitoma
Pedro
Brajan Gruda, 20yo German U21 RW, signed from Mainz for £25m in August, 7 appearances, one start in the Carabao, first start in the Prem
Could be Pedro or Rutter up top
I think it's Paquetta and Alveraz on four yellows now and I expect them both to book their Boxing day rest in this match. Just hoping Paquetta doesn't book it in early and then give another away accidently later.
COYI ⚒️