Brighton & Hove Albion will be eager to clinch a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League when they host Manchester United at the Amex Stadium on Sunday.
The 2025/26 Premier League season has reached its curtain call. While the Premier League title is over, key battles across the table remain active. With all ten ties set to kick off simultaneously, Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester United will be a match to look forward to as the Seagulls target a top-six finish, hoping to secure UEFA Champions League qualification.
Brighton & Hove Albion have continued on their upward trajectory under Fabian Hurzeler, with the German tactician enjoying an excellent second season with his charges. While the Seagulls were at risk of finishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table midway through the 2025/26 campaign, a run of only three defeats in 11 games has helped them rise to seventh in the standings.
With Aston Villa winning the UEFA Europa League, a sixth-placed finish can secure UEFA Champions League qualification if the Villans fall to fifth in the standings. So, Hurzeler’s men will be desperate to secure all three points and hope Nottingham Forest can beat Bournemouth. Otherwise, qualifying for a European competition will also be a sign of progress under the German tactician.
On the other hand, Manchester United will have nothing to play for after securing a third-place finish in the Premier League. The only thing that matters now is Bruno Fernandes’s endeavour to become the outright record holder for most assists in a Premier League season. So, the player will go all out to convert his chances this weekend.
The reverse fixture saw Manchester United cruise to a 4-2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, with the Seagulls falling short despite a late flourish. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Fabian Hurzeler has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Brighton & Hove Albion head coach may be bereft of the services of four first-team players vs Manchester United on Sunday.
Kaoru Mitoma is the most notable absentee, as he is recovering from a hamstring injury. The Japanese international accompanies Adam Webster and Stefanos Tzimas in the treatment room, with the duo recovering from knee injury. Meanwhile, Mats Wieffer is closing in on returning from an ankle issue, and he faces a late fitness test to determine his availability.
Bart Verbruggen is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Brighton & Hove Albion lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester United on Sunday. The backline will feature Joel Veltman, Jan Paul van Hecke, Lewis Dunk, and Maxim De Cuyper.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Carlos Baleba and Pascal Gross, with Jack Hinshelwood reprising a more advanced role. Finally, Danny Welbeck will lead the line for Brighton against Manchester United, with Ferdi Kadioglu and Yankuba Minteh being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, De Cuyper; Baleba, Gross; Minteh, Hinshelwood, Kadioglu; Welbeck
Unlike his counterpart in the Brighton & Hove Albion dugout, Michael Carrick has a new roster issue to worry about ahead of the trip to the Amex Stadium. The Manchester United head coach may be without three first-team players on Sunday.
Casemiro will not be available to take on Brighton, with Carrick revealing in his pre-match press conference that the Brazilian international has played his final game for the club. Meanwhile, the English tactician continues to sweat over Benjamin Sesko’s fitness, while Matthijs de Ligt (lower back) remains in the treatment room.
Senne Lammens is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday. The backline will feature Noussair Mazraoui, Leny Yoro, Ayden Heaven, and Luke Shaw, with Carrick making a few rotations in the backline.
As for the midfield unit, Manuel Ugarte will line up alongside Kobbie Mainoo in the double pivot, with Bruno Fernandes reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Matheus Cunha will lead the line for the away side against Brighton, with Patrick Dorgu and Bryan Mbeumo being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Mazraoui, Yoro, Heaven, Shaw; Mainoo, Ugarte; Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, Dorgu; Cunha
While Harry Maguire, Danny Welbeck, and Carlos Baleba were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Bruno Fernandes as the Player to Watch for Sunday’s Premier League clash between Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United at the Amex Stadium.
The Manchester United skipper has provided 20 assists for Manchester United this season, thus equalling the record for most assists in a Premier League campaign. One more will set a new outright record (Thierry Henry in 2002/03 and Kevin De Bruyne in 2019/20 also had 20). So, from Manchester United’s perspective, Fernandes’s bid to sit on top of the mountain will take all the spotlight this weekend.
Matches featuring Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United have usually been engrossing affairs. Additionally, none of the 17 Premier League meetings between Brighton (8 wins) and Manchester United (9) have been drawn, the most-played fixture in the competition to never finish level. Sunday’s match should be no different, especially with the visitors missing Casemiro.
The Red Devils have often struggled in the Brazilian midfielder’s absence, and Brighton will take advantage of the situation this weekend. While the Manchester United players will push to get Bruno Fernandes the assists record, the away side’s defensive vulnerabilities will cost them points. Meanwhile, Danny Welbeck will deliver the goods for the hosts, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-2 win for Fabian Hurzeler and his charges.
