Brighton & Hove Albion will host Wolverhampton Wanderers after the winter break in the Premier League. In their first Premier League match of the year, Wolves will look to win four in a row. Brighton will play again after a two-week layoff.
Preview (Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Brighton went four games without a loss before the New Year. They will now look to continue where they left off after resting during a warm-weather training camp. The Seagulls have only won three of their past fourteen games. Their most recent home game ended in a 0-0 draw with West Ham. Their most recent away game against Tottenham Hotspur was preceded by an away draw. After keeping their first clean sheet in the Premier League this season, Roberto De Zerbi’s team defeated Stoke City 4-2 in the Potteries to advance to the FA Cup’s fourth round, where they will take on Sheffield United.
Brighton defeated Championship opponents in the cup thanks to two goals from Joao Pedro in the second half. After a two-week break, they will play a match against a team that has recently dominated the top division. It included their matches last year, when they prevailed 4-1 and 6-0. Furthermore, Wolves manager Gary O’Neil has lost all three of his Premier League games against Brighton. In sharp contrast, De Zerbi has won all three of his prior meetings with Monday’s visitors.
Wolves could be forgiven for feeling a little nervous as they travel south from the West Midlands given that they have handed up at least three goals in each of those four losses, for a total of sixteen. Wolves previously won four straight top-flight matches back in 1972. A win would extend their winning streak across all competitions and tie them with Brighton on 31 points.
Team News
Even though Brazilian center-back Igor is expected to make a comeback from an Achilles injury, Brighton will still be missing several players until next month, including Joel Veltman (knee), Tariq Lamptey (thigh), Julio Enciso (knee), and Ansu Fati (thigh). In addition, Roberto De Zerbi will be without both Solomon March and Kaoru Mitoma. They are representing their countries in the Africa Nations Cup and Asian Cup, respectively. March has not yet returned to full training. Danny Welbeck, who scored a brace in the same match last season, is expected to start up front for the Seagulls with Joao Pedro. Welbeck has six goal involvements in eight prior Premier League appearances versus Wolves.
Matheus Cunha, a former Atletico Madrid player, will provide Wolves with motivation in the closing third of the game. In his previous nine league games, he has directly contributed to eight goals, compared to just five in his first 28. Pedro Neto, a Portuguese winger, might make his first start since suffering an injury in October, while Mario Lemina, a mainstay in the midfield, is also back in the running. With a direct involvement in 43 percent of Wanderers’ 30 Premier League goals this season, the latter leaves a big gap; only Mohamed Salah (51%) and Dominic Solanke (46%) have higher percentages.
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
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