Brighton & Hove Albion have not won their last six matches across all competitions, and they will be desperate to return to winning ways in the game vs Burnley at the Amex Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Seagulls have dropped to 14th in the Premier League table, and they could easily be dragged into the relegation battle if they continue to drop points. Fabian Hurzeler’s men need to bounce back strongly, and this is a golden opportunity for them to pick up all three points at home.
On the other hand, Burnley are 19th in the Premier League table with just three wins from 19 matches thus far. The Clarets have won four of their last six matches in the top flight, and they are struggling with a lack of form and confidence.
Both teams are in poor form, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. They will be desperate for all three points, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Fabian Hurzeler will be without Adam Webster, Stefanos Tzimas and Solly March due to knee injuries. Additionally, Mats Wieffer is a short-term absentee due to a toe injury. Meanwhile, Carlos Baleba is away at AFCON with his national side. However, there is some good news, as Yankuba Minteh has recovered from a dead leg.
Brighton & Hove Albion are likely to shape up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation vs Burnley, 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 attack. Jan Paul van Hecke and Lewis Dunk will form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Yasin Ayari and James Milner will look to add defensive cover and drive to the side. Georginio Rutter will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to help create opportunities in the final third.
Diego Gomez and Yankuba Minteh will start on the flanks. They will look to add pace and unpredictability to the Brighton attack. Finally, Danny Welbeck will lead the line for Brighton & Hove Albion vs Burnley on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu; Ayari, Milner; Minteh, Rutter, Gomez; Welbeck
The away team will be without Zeki Amdouni (knee) and Connor Roberts (Achilles), and Jordan Beyer (hamstring) is unavailable as well. Meanwhile, Axel Tuanzebe, Lyle Foster, and Hannibal Mejbri are all at AFCON. Josh Cullen is out for the season with ACL damage. Joe Worrall, Maxime Esteve, and Zian Flemming face late fitness tests to determine their availability.
Burnley will shape up in the 3-4-3 formation, with Martin Dubravka in goal. In the back three, Kyle Walker will start alongside Hjalmar Ekdal and Bashir Humphreys. Oliver Sonne will start alongside Quilindschy Hartman in the wing-back roles. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch.
As for the midfield unit, Florentino Luis will start alongside Josh Laurent in the double pivot in the middle of the park. The two players will look to keep things tight in the centre of the pitch and protect the defensive unit. Finally, Armando Broja will lead the line for Burnley vs Brighton & Hove Albion, with Loum Tchaouna and Jaidon Anthony on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Dubravka; Walker, Humphreys, Ekdal,; Sonne, Forentino, Laurent, Hartman; Tchouana, Broja, Anthony
The Japanese international is our key player to watch out for. Brighton & Hove Albion will need him to step up and deliver in the final third, even though he will not feature from the get-go. Coming off the bench, Mitoma will add pace and unpredictability in the final third and help create opportunities for his teammates.
Brighton & Hove Albion will need him to make a defining impact in the final third. The Japanese international will need to perform at a high level to help his team grind out all three points against Burnley.
Both teams will be looking to pick up a win here, and this is likely to be a close contest. Neither side is in particularly good form, and they have been quite poor defensively. It is fair to assume that Brighton and Burnley will get on the score sheet here.
However, the hosts have more quality and depth in the attacking unit, and they should be able to clinch a narrow victory here. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Fabian Hurzeler and his charges.
