The long-winding 2024/25 Premier League season will end this weekend with Gameweek 38. The final round of fixtures will culminate with ten simultaneous matches, including Tottenham Hotspur vs Brighton & Hove Albion at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The UEFA Europa League triumph will not save Tottenham’s campaign. However, the Lilywhites have finally ended their 17-year trophy drought, with Ange Postecoglou completing his promise of winning a trophy in his second season. The North London outfit will now aim to finish this term on a high, although they have been dreadful in the Premier League for several months.
On the other hand, Brighton & Hove Albion have flattered to deceive. While Fabian Hurzeler has shown promising signs in the 2024/25 season, he must refine his system to ensure the Seagulls compete for European qualification next term. Nevertheless, a positive campaign will end with a top-half finish, with Brighton narrowly missing out on the top seven.
The reverse fixture saw Brighton & Hove Albion come from two goals down to beat Tottenham 3-2, with Danny Welbeck scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Ange Postecoglou has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s final game of the 2024/25 season. The Tottenham Hotspur manager will be bereft of the services of six first-team players vs Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison are the most notable absentees, with the duo recovering from knee injuries. The duo accompanies Radu Dragusin (knee), Lucas Bergvall (ankle), Timo Werner (hamstring), and Dane Scarlett (groin) on the sidelines.
Postecoglou should ring in the changes this weekend to allow the fringe players some game time. So, Antonin Kinsky will take his spot between the sticks, with Tottenham Hotspur lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. The backline should feature Djed Spence, Kevin Danso, Ben Davies, and Sergio Reguilon.
As for the midfield unit, Archie Gray and Yves Bissouma should pair up in the double pivot, with Mathys Tel reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Son Heung-min will lead the line for Tottenham against Brighton, with Wilson Odobert and Mikey Moore being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Spence, Danso, Davies, Reguilon; Gray, Bissouma; Odobert, Tel, Moore; Son
Unlike his counterpart in the Tottenham dugout, Fabian Hurzeler has greeted positive updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Brighton & Hove Albion manager will be without five first-team players on Sunday.
While Jason Steele and Tariq Lamptey require late fitness tests to determine their availability, the duo should be in the matchday squad. However, Ferdi Kadioglu (ankle), James Milner (thigh), Solomon March (knee), and Georginio Rutter (ankle) remain on the sidelines. In addition, Joao Pedro will miss Sunday’s game after a training ground bust-up with Jan Paul van Hecke.
Bart Verbruggen will be an automatic pick between the sticks, with Brighton & Hove Albion lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. The backline should feature Mats Wieffer, Jan Paul van Hecke, Lewis Dunk, and Pervis Estupinan.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Carlos Baleba and Yasin Ayari in the double pivot. Brajan Gruda will likely reprise the no. 10 role, with Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma being the two wide attackers. Finally, Danny Welbeck will spearhead the Brighton attack against Tottenham on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Wieffer, van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan; Baleba, Ayari; Minteh, Gruda, Mitoma; Welbeck
While Kaoru Mitoma, Brajan Gruda, and Mathys Tel were viable candidates were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Son Heung-min as the Player to Watch for Sunday’s Premier League game between Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion.
The South Korean international has been a viral sensation with his cheerful antics since his team’s triumphant UEFA Europa League final win over Manchester United. However, Son’s performance off the bench was concerning, and recent reports have painted a grim picture about his future. So, he will be eager to end the season on a high and prove his naysayers wrong this weekend.
The party mood at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium should lift the home side, and they will hit the ground running this weekend. However, a second-string team may not have the quality to trouble Brighton & Hove Albion, considering the visitors are on a solid run.
It will not be surprising to see Tottenham take the lead, with Son Heung-min or Mathy Tel opening the scoring. However, the away side will turn it around and script another comeback win over the North London outfit. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Fabian Hurzeler and his charges.
