European-chasing Brentford dey ready to welcome struggling Brighton & Hove Albion go Gtech Community Stadium for one sharp Premier League battle dis Saturday afternoon.
The Seagulls don already claim 2-1 win for the reverse fixture at Amex Stadium back in November, and dem dey try complete top-flight double over Brentford for the first time since 2021-22 campaign.
Match Preview
Brentford don surprise plenty people dis season after major summer changes for West London. Head coach Keith Andrews don take over baton from Thomas Frank and turn the Bees into real European contenders.
Andrews side don collect 20 points from their last 10 Premier League games (W6 D2 L2), equal to as many points dem gather for their first 16 matches (W6 D2 L8). Three of those points come from sharp games against Aston Villa (1-0), Newcastle (3-2) and leaders Arsenal (1-1).
FA Cup run still dey go strong after Brentford edge non-league Macclesfield 1-0 for fourth round. Many people don predict say Brentford go fight relegation, but right now dem dey 7th for Premier League table, just 2 points behind Liverpool, 4 behind Chelsea, and 5 behind Manchester United with 12 games still to play.
One thing wey Brentford dey rely on since the last two seasons na their long-throw tactics. Dem don score 10 goals from throw-ins across these two campaigns – at least six more than any other Premier League team. E mean say dem be first team to score 10+ goals from throw-ins in two consecutive seasons since Stoke City for 2008-09 (9 goals) and 2009-10 (5 goals).
Brighton Form – Slipping Down the Table
Brighton Premier League form don sharply drop. Since December, no team don win fewer matches than the Seagulls (W1 D6 L6), with only win against relegation-threatened Burnley (2-0) for January.
They currently dey 14th place, just 7 points above relegation zone and 9 points behind Brentford in 7th. Latest defeat 1-0 to Aston Villa don add pressure on head coach Fabian Hurzeler, wey admit say dem must take “small right steps” to improve fortunes.
Statistically, Brighton dey average 13 shots per game, 4 shots on target, and 27 touches inside opposition box per 90 mins – all lowest since 2021-22. Dem lost their last two league games by 1-0 scoreline, second time for season wey dem fail score back-to-back, and dem never go three games goalless since January 2024.
Team News
Brentford: Long-term absentees Antoni Milambo, Fabio Carvalho, Josh Dasilva (all knee) still out. Key attacker Kevin Schade dey return from three-match ban. Schade fit link up with Dango Ouattara and top scorer Igor Thiago (17 PL goals) for three-man attack. Yehor Yarmolyuk dey fight for midfield spot. Nathan Collins fit replace Kristoffer Ajer at centre-back, while Sepp van den Berg, Michael Kayode, Rico Henry go retain starting spots.
Brighton: Adam Webster, Stefanos Tzimas (both knee), Yasin Ayari (shoulder) still out. Solly March fit make squad debut since April last year. 40-year-old James Milner go break Premier League appearance record if feature. Midfield spots dey battle between Carlos Baleba, Pascal Gross, Jack Hinshelwood. Charalampos Kostoulas go likely make way for Jack Hinshelwood as central striker, with Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh supporting attack.
Possible Lineups
Brentford: Kelleher; Kayode, Van den Berg, Collins, Henry; Yarmolyuk, Henderson; Ouattara, Jensen, Schade; Thiago
Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Van Hecke, Dunk, De Cuyper; Gross, Baleba; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck
Prediction
We dey expect Brentford 3-1 Brighton & Hove Albion. Brighton get only two wins in their last nine Premier League meetings with Brentford, but dem dey underdogs now. Brentford dey hot form, scoring consistently and home advantage dey sharp for them. Both sides fit make net ripple, but Brentford frontline dey more potent, and we believe host go collect all three points this weekend.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.