Nottingham Forest will be looking to build on their hard fought 1-0 away win at Anfield as they travel to Brighton on Sunday.
Both teams will be looking to continue their unbeaten start to the season in what promises to be an intriguing Premier League clash at the Amex Stadium.
When and Where?
Date: Sunday, 22nd September
Time: 14:00 BST kick-off
Location: American Express Stadium, Brighton
Team News
The hosts have been sweating on Joao Pedro’s injury after the 22-year-old missed last weekend’s draw against Ipswich Town and was also not a presence in mid-week either. However, what comes as a good news for the Seagulls is that he has been back in training. Fabian Hurzeler abstained from confirming if he will be fit for this weekend’s action.
‘He made a training session today and we shouldn’t…we don’t want to go any risk for today, and let’s see how the next days will be,’ said Brighton’s manager.
While for the visitors, Ibrahim Sangare and Willy Boly are doubtful for the fixture as they face late fitness test.
Pre-Game Analysis
Brighton have had an impressive start under new manager Fabian Hurzeler, with four wins in all competitions, including a dramatic 2-1 home win over Manchester United. They have been able to win valuable points while playing an expensive brand of possession-based football. However, they are winless in their last two Premier League matches, finding it difficult to break down quality defensive opposition.
Brighton’s tactics revolve around baiting opposition press and breaking the lines through short combination play, but against passive opposition willing to concede possession, Brighton have struggled to create quality chances.
Forest come into this game on the back of an impressive defensive display at Anfield. They are unbeaten in the Premier League this season with two wins and two draws in four games and boast an impressive defensive record, having conceded a total of two goals.
Nuno Espirito‘s side are an extremely defensive team, choosing to create chances through quick breaks and direct attacks in transition with the pace and quality of their attacking force in Elanga, Hudson Odoi, and Chris Wood. Against Liverpool, they conceded an xG value of 0.94, with the home team denied qualitative space in the final third.
Against possession-based teams, Forest defend in a compact and narrow 442 low block with the intent of denying the opposition space in the final third while looking to pounce on lose balls to launch a direct attack. They have won four of their last five away games in the Premier League.
This is definitely going to be an intriguing game; it would be interesting to see the innovative solutions Fabian Hurzeler devices against Forests’ stubborn low blocks.
Forest would be happy to sit in a passive block with compact space between the lines while conceding space on the wide areas. Brighton’s wide men, Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma, will need to be on their A game, maximising the time and space in wide areas while being careful of losing the ball in dangerous situations, as Forests possess attacking quality to generate quality chances through turnovers.
Betting Predictions
Betting punters could stake on Brighton over 5 corners as Forest have consistently conceded 0ver 5 corners against elite possession based sides.
Predicted lineups
Brighton lineup vs Nottingham Forest: Verbruggen, Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, Hinshelwod, Weiffer, Baleba, Minteh, Welbeck, Mitoma, Rutter
Nottingham Forest lineup vs Brighton: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno, Sanagre, Ward-Prowse, Dominguez, Gibbs-White, Elanga, Wood
