Brighton and Hove Albion vs Southampton verdict, predicted score, key stats and suggested bets
- George Dempsey
- 20 May 2023
Brighton will look to get their Europa League push back on track against already relegated Southampton at the AMEX Stadium on Sunday.
Brighton are motivated by a very real prospect of Europa League football, while Southampton are simply out to finish their Premier League journey on a positive note.
Date, KO time and TV coverage
Premier League, Sunday May 21, Kick-off 2pm
Predicted score
Suggested bets
Key stats
After losing 4-1 to Newcastle, there have now been five instances where Brighton have lost and conceded at least three goals. After the previous four, they won their next games 4-1 vs Chelsea, 4-1 at Everton, 6-0 vs Wolves and 3-0 away to Arsenal
Brighton have scored three or more goals in a third of their home Premier League matches this season.
Brighton have scored at least three goals in nine of their previous 14 Premier League wins.
Southampton have gone without a fight, conceding two or more in eight of their last 10 matches.
Brighton vs Southampton team news
Solly March (thigh), Adam Lallana (thigh), Adam Webster (muscle), Jakub Moder (knee), Jeremy Sarmiento (ankle), Tariq Lamptey (knee) and Robert Sanchez (personal) are all unavailable.
Joel Veltman (thigh) is 50-50 and will be assessed, while Levi Colwill is set to return to the squad after recovering from injury.
Romain Perraud (ankle), Armel Bella-Kotchap (hamstring), Tino Livramento (muscle), Mohamed Salisu (groin) and Juan Larios (thigh) are ruled out.
Che Adams is currently a doubt for the visitors and will be assessed over the weekend.
Verdict
Brighton suffered a huge setback in their pursuit of European football on Thursday evening. Albion were mauled 4-1 by Champions League hopefuls Newcastle, likely putting an end to their top-four chances.
The hosts were good value for all of their goals, whilst the visitors didn't really create enough to deserve their solitary strike. Despite that, De Zerbi's men are still in pole position to secure a top-six finish.
Southampton's confirmed relegation had been coming for a while. They're winless in their last 11 matches. Despite finding the net three times against Arsenal and Forest, the Saints claimed one point.
The pressure is off with just two games remaining and whilst that makes them a nice opponent, it also means they could provide a threat. Brighton give teams chances and the visitors can afford to be fearless.
One interesting stat of note is how Brighton tend to respond to heavy setbacks. They've suffered five defeats in which they've conceded three or more goals, after which they tend to bounce back in style.
Wolves (6-0), Chelsea (4-1), Everton (4-1) and Arsenal (3-0) have all been on the receiving end of a Brighton backlash and Southampton look like they could be the latest victim.
The visitor's defensive record is poor. They've conceded an average of 1.83 goals per game on their travels and at least three in their previous three away matches.
Whenever Brighton win, they tend to do it in style. The Seagulls have found the net at least three times in nine of their last 13 Premier League victories. They were 3-1 winners at St. Mary's Stadium.
This has the feel of an end-of-season game that could descend into chaos. Brighton need the points and should have their way in front of goal, but the pressure is off for Southampton and their recent away games have been absurd.
