Verdict: Draw
Best odds: 14/5
Bookmaker: 888sport
Brighton and Hove Albion will welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Falmer (Amex) Stadium on Saturday afternoon, in a game that will be a part of round eight of this season’s Premier League.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton aren’t doing too well at the moment. The previous seven rounds saw them win only once, coupled with three draws and three defeats. It means they now sit in 16th place with six points to their name – not in the relegation zone yet, but the omens aren’t good.
Against Spurs, they will be looking to take advantage of a possible lack of desire from their opponents after their mid-week disaster to try and turn that six into a nine, and if they succeed, it would be a great morale boost for the upcoming challenges. Whatever happens, the Seagulls will have to do much better than they’ve done so far to ensure their survival in the top flight once again.
Team News
The options at manager Graham Potter’s disposal will be boosted by the return of midfielders Solly March and Alireza Jahanbakhsh from injury, as well as defender Leon Balogun. Midfielder Davy Propper is a doubt after a hamstring problem made him miss the defeat away to Chelsea last week.
Meanwhile, winger Leandro Trossard and defenders Shane Duffy and Bernardo remain out of action.
Tottenham Hotspur
If Brighton’s season can be described as somewhat underwhelming, that of Spurs is probably nothing short of disastrous. It feels that the team, a very good team in itself, has grown stale after last season’s success which saw them reach the Champions League final. It’s almost as if the players, disappointed by missing out on all the trophies again despite commendable efforts, have lost some of their usually impeccable work ethic and dedication. After all, they did concede seven goals to Bayern Munich at home in mid-week.
Of course, the uncertainty surrounding the futures of several among them that lasted well throughout the summer and is possibly still ongoing may have had something to with it as well.
At the moment, they are in sixth place with 11 points in the bag – far from a reason to despair, one would think, but there is definitely something lacking in their performances this term. Players who have proven their worth many times in the past are now showing a different face.
Team News
Manager Mauricio Pochettino will be without the services of fullback Serge Aurier who was sent off last week against Southampton and is now banned. Wide man Ryan Sessegnon is also out after suffering an injury setback in training, as well as midfielder Giovani Lo Celso.
Conclusion
A good result here would mean a lot to either side. For Brighton it would mean a potential lift-off for the main part of the season as they strive to accumulate enough points to secure survival. For Spurs, it could serve as a turning point and prove the thrashing at the hands of Bayern to have been just the slap in the face they needed to wake up.
It’s never easy to come to the Amex, and a tough battle is likely to be on the agenda. It feels as if both teams will, however, fall just short of their goal and end up sharing the spoils.
Verdict: Draw
Best odds: 14/5
Bookmaker: 888sport
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