Amex Stadium forms the backdrop for a surprise top-half Premier League contest between Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham on Saturday afternoon.
Last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace was vastly underserved as the Seagulls attempted twice as many shots as their hosts, only to get punished by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez’s epic blunder.
Although that result threw a spanner in the works, Brighton’s pursuit of a historic European finish remains firmly on the rails on the back of a five-game unbeaten league start to the new calendar year (W3, D2).
Roberto De Zerbi’s side start this round of games level on points with visiting Fulham, albeit with two games in hand, meaning a four-point deficit on fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur is well within reach.
While the Cottagers’ ambitions may not be as lofty, Marco Silva’s side will take the field looking to seize Brighton’s position in the standings after snapping a three-match winless run in the Premier League last weekend.
Willian and Manor Solomon scored on either side of half-time to hand the London outfit a 2-0 home triumph over Nottingham Forest, setting them up nicely for this potentially historic trip to the Amex Stadium.
After a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture in August, Fulham could complete their first league double over Brighton since a 1992/93 third-tier campaign.
Match Preview
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton have won both home league outings in 2023 by an aggregate score of 4-0, including a 3-0 thrashing of Liverpool in mid-January, and could make it three home triumphs in a row in the top-flight for the first time since November 2019.
Another success without conceding would see the Seagulls stitch together three straight home league wins ‘to nil’ for the first time since 2015 while in the EFL Championship.
However, Brighton wouldn’t mind any type of victory as they pursue their maiden H2H win over Fulham in the Premier League after five failed attempts (D3, L2).
Fulham
The aforementioned beating of Forest marked Fulham’s tenth Premier League win this season, with only Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham boasting more.
Encouraged by their best wins tally in a top-flight campaign since registering 11 in 2012/13, the Cottagers are looking to arrest a two-game scoreless run in away Premier League matches (D1, L1).
With Fulham’s last two away league victories coming ‘to nil,’ one goal could be enough to get their hopes of a first top-flight win on the road since New Year’s Day over the line.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Fulham Potential Line-ups
Brighton & Hove Albion (4-2-3-1): Robert Sanchez; Joel Veltman, Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster, Pervis Estupinan; Pascal Gross, Moises Caicedo; Solly March, Alexis Mac Allister, Kaoru Mitoma; Evan Ferguson.
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Bernd Leno; Kenny Tete, Issa Diop, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson; Joao Palhinha, Harrison Reed; Willian, Andreas Pereira, Bobby Decordova-Reid; Aleksandar Mitrovic.
How to Watch?
Brighton vs Fulham, alongside all other fixtures in England’s top flight, is available to watch online via live Premier League streams.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Fulham Prediction
Brighton’s red-hot form in 2023 may not be enough to scare Fulham off as we predict a goal festive at the Amex in what could be a dramatic share of the spoils.
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 Fulham
