Brentford vs Brighton – News and Probable Lineups

Brentford, aiming for European qualification, host a struggling Brighton & Hove Albion at the Gtech Community Stadium for a Premier League showdown on Saturday afternoon.

The Seagulls achieved a 2-1 win during the reverse fixture at the Amex Stadium in November and are eager to secure a top-flight double over the Bees, something they haven’t accomplished since the 2021-22 season.

Match overview

This season has seen Brentford emerge as a surprising contender in the Premier League following a notable summer overhaul in West London, with head coach Keith Andrews smoothly succeeding Thomas Frank and steering the team towards genuine European aspirations.

The Bees have gathered 20 points from their last 10 Premier League matches (W6 D2 L2), which matches their tally from the first 16 fixtures of the season (W6 D2 L8), including seven points accrued in their last three encounters against Aston Villa (1-0), Newcastle (3-2), and league leaders Arsenal (1-1).

Andrews’s team, who narrowly defeated non-league Macclesfield (1-0) in the FA Cup fourth round on Monday, were predicted by many to be engaged in a relegation battle this season, yet they find themselves currently in seventh place in the Premier League, just two points shy of Liverpool in sixth, four points behind Chelsea in fifth, and five points adrift of Manchester United in fourth with still 12 matches remaining.

Over the past two seasons, Brentford has capitalized on their long-throw prowess, netting a total of 10 goals from such scenarios, at least six more than any other side in the Premier League. They are the first team to reach 10+ throw-in goals over two seasons since Stoke City recorded nine in 2008-09 and five in 2009-10.

The Bees, who defeated Saturday’s rivals Brighton 4-2 on their home turf last season, are aiming for consecutive wins in home league matches against the Seagulls for the first time since a streak of four victories between 1998 and 2007.

It is evident that Brighton’s form in the Premier League has sharply declined, as no team in the league has recorded fewer wins than the Seagulls since December (W1 D6 L6) – their only victory during this period came against relegation-threatened Burnley in January (2-0).

During this challenging stretch, Brighton has dropped from fifth to 14th place in the standings, suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa just over a week ago, leaving them seven points clear of the relegation zone and nine points behind Brentford in seventh place.

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler is under pressure, having witnessed a 3-0 loss at Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round last weekend. The 32-year-old acknowledged that he and his players “can’t feel sorry for ourselves,” emphasizing the need for ‘the right small steps’ to change their fortunes.

In the Premier League, Brighton is averaging 13 shots per game, with four on target and 27 touches in the opponent’s box per 90 minutes this season; all of these figures reflect their lowest performance since the 2021-22 season (13 shots, four shots on target, 25 touches in the opposition’s box).

The Seagulls arrive at the Gtech Community Stadium this weekend having suffered back-to-back 1-0 defeats in their last two league matches, marking the second time this season they have failed to score in consecutive games. They have not gone three matches without finding the back of the net since January 2024.

Team News

Brentford continues to deal with long-term injuries to Antoni Milambo, Fabio Carvalho, and Josh Dasilva (all knee), but they are buoyed by the return of key forward Kevin Schade from a three-match suspension.

Schade might be accompanied in a three-man attack by Dango Ouattara and leading scorer Igor Thiago, who has netted 17 goals in the Premier League, while Yehor Yarmolyuk aims to reclaim his spot in central midfield ahead of either Jordânia Henderson or Vitaly Yanelt.

Nathan Collins has been sidelined for Brentford’s last two Premier League matches, yet Andrews may contemplate bringing him back into the lineup in place of Kristoffer Ajer, while Sepp van den Berg, Michael Kayode, and Rico Henry are expected to keep their places in a defensive four.

For Brighton, Solly March, Adam Webster, and Stefanos Tzimas remain out due to knee issues, while Yasin Ayari will undergo evaluation before kickoff after missing the past three matches with a shoulder injury.

James Milner, 40, is set to exceed Gareth Barry (653) and become the all-time leading appearance maker in the Premier League if he plays this weekend. However, a start in midfield is improbable, with Carlos Baleba, Pascal Gross, and Jack Hinshelwood vying for places in Hurzeler’s starting XI.

Both Hinshelwood and Danny Welbeck found the net in the previously mentioned 2-1 victory over Brentford four months ago. Hinshelwood is likely to step in for Charalampos Kostoulas as the central striker and could be supported in the attack by wingers Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh.

Brentford probable starting XI:

Kelleher; Kayode, Van den Berg, Collins, Henry; Yarmolyuk, Henderson; Ouattara, Jensen, Damage; Thiago

Brighton & Hove Albion probable starting XI:

Bridge; Kadioglu, Van Hecke, Dunk, De Cuyper; Gross, Baleba; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck

Brighton has suffered only two defeats in their last nine Premier League encounters with Brentford, yet they enter this weekend’s match as the underdogs against a Bees team that has averaged nearly two points per game at home this season.

Both teams are likely to find the net, however, Brentford’s more effective attacking unit could be the key factor. We expect the hosts to outscore their rivals and grab three important points.