Brighton & Hove Albion will be looking to make it three wins on the bounce when they host struggling Southampton at the Amex Stadium on Friday night. The Seagulls have been in fine form of late, coming from behind to defeat Manchester City 2-1 before overcoming Bournemouth by the same scoreline last Saturday.
Fabian Hürzeler’s side have been impressive in their ability to bounce back from adversity, remaining unbeaten when conceding the first goal this Premier League campaign (W2 D2). “We’ve shown great character and resilience in our recent games,” Hürzeler said. “We know that Southampton will be a tough opponent, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
João Pedro has been in scintillating form, scoring four goals and providing two assists in his last five league appearances. The Brazilian’s impressive run has seen him become the first Brighton player to both score and assist a goal in consecutive Premier League matches. “João has been fantastic for us,” Hürzeler said. “He’s a talented player who is always looking to improve. We’re delighted with his form and we’re hoping he can continue to make a big impact for us.”
Brighton’s home form has been a major strength this season, with the Seagulls unbeaten in all six of their Premier League matches at the Amex Stadium (W3 D3). “We love playing at home,” Hürzeler said. “The atmosphere is always electric and it gives us a big boost. We’re looking forward to playing in front of our fans again on Friday night.”
The Seagulls are currently fifth in the Premier League table, level on 22 points with both Chelsea and Arsenal. A win against Southampton would see Brighton temporarily climb to second in the table, above Manchester City, who they trail by just one point. “We’re not getting carried away with our position in the table,” Hürzeler said. “We know that there is still a long way to go in the season and we need to keep working hard and taking it one game at a time.”
Southampton, meanwhile, have struggled this season, and they will need to put in a much-improved performance if they are to get anything out of the game. “We know that Brighton are a tough opponent, but we’re looking forward to the challenge,” Southampton manager Andoni Iraola said. “We’ll be looking to build on our recent performances and get a positive result on the board.”
The Opta supercomputer has predicted a Brighton win, with the Seagulls triumphing in 63.7% of pre-match simulations. However, Iraola is confident that his side can cause an upset. “We’ve been working hard on the training pitch and we’re feeling confident,” he said. “We know that it won’t be easy, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Brighton will be without the suspended Carlos Baleba, who was sent off for two cautions against Bournemouth. However, Hürzeler has a strong squad at his disposal, and he will be confident that his side can overcome Southampton’s challenge. “We’ve got a good squad and we’re confident that we can get a positive result,” Hürzeler said. “We’ll be looking to build on our recent form and get another three points on the board.”
