In order to seek some measure of revenge for their loss in the FA Cup semi-final, Brighton & Hove Albion will play Manchester United at home in the Premier League on Thursday. The match will take place at the Amex Stadium.
The team captained by Roberto De Zerbi comes into this match having just beaten Wolverhampton Wanderers by a score of 6-0, whilst the team captained by Erik Ten Hag has most recently triumphed over Aston Villa by a score of 1-0. Both teams are competing for a spot in Europe.
The month of April got off to a shaky start for the Seagulls as they battled Brentford to a 3-3 draw and then lost to Tottenham by a score of 2-1. However, they bounced back to overcome Bournemouth by a score of 2-0.
De Zerbi got the perfect response from his players at the weekend as they put Wolves to the sword thanks to two goals each from Danny Welbeck, Deniz Undav, and Pascal Gross winning by a margin of 6-0. This came after a 2-1 win against Chelsea was followed by a painful 7-6 penalty shoot-out defeat to United in the FA Cup which was followed by another disappointing 3-1 defeat to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.
On the other hand, Ten Hag’s side has been rather constant, with the exception of a few stumbles here and there. In the beginning of April, they were dealt a 2-0 loss at the hands of Newcastle. Aside from that, the only other loss they sustained was a 3-0 setback at the hands of Sevilla in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League quarterfinal. Aside from that, they won all of their other games, with the exception of a 2-2 entertaining draw with Spurs in the most recent week.
Given that both teams are trying to end the season well in order to enhance their chances of achieving their goals for the ongoing season, and in light of the fact that they have already competed against each other in the FA Cup, you can anticipate another fiercely contested matchup.
The current form of Manchester United sees them sitting in fourth place in the Premier League table with 63 points after 32 games played. The Reds have seen an improvement in their performance since hiring a Dutch coach, and they are still in the running for one of the top-four spots in the table, despite the fact that Liverpool is right on their heels.
The team from Old Trafford, who have won four of their last five league matches, will be hoping to bring all three points back from their match at the Amex with them when they head back home.
However, it won’t be as easy as it seems because De Zerbi’s side has proven to be difficult to work with in the past. The Seagulls now sit in second place in the Premier League with 52 points after 31 games, one game in hand over the Red Devils, and at least a couple more than teams like Spurs, Liverpool, and Aston Villa.
They are presently in seventh place in the Premier League rankings; but, if they were to go on a winning streak that began with a victory against United, it would put them in a far better position to compete in European tournaments.
Therefore, United is vying for a spot in the Champions League, and Brighton has a good chance of making it into the running for a spot in the Europa League. However, they will need to produce some significant results beginning with the high-stakes battle that will take place in their own backyard on Thursday.
Recording for Head to Head
The two teams have met each other a total of 22 times across all competitions; Brighton has emerged victorious on 5 occasions, with the remaining 3 games ending in a draw. The Red Devils, on the other hand, have earned a total of 14 victories.
Their most recent match in the FA Cup finished in a scoreless draw, and Ten Hag’s squad went on to win the shootout by a score of 7-6. However, the Seagulls won the same matchup at Old Trafford earlier this season by a score of 2-1 in the first game of the season for both sides.
Recent Team News
Bruno Fernandes, the captain of Manchester United, has been providing his team with strong leadership from the front.
Both teams are missing a significant number of key players, but the Seagulls have the upper hand due to the fact that they have had an extra day of rest since they last competed on Saturday.
It is anticipated that the following players will not participate in the Premier League match: Jakub Moder (knee), Tariq Lamptey (knee), Jeremy Sarmiento (ankle), and Adam Lallana (thigh). Additionally, it is anticipated that Evan Ferguson will not participate in the match due to an ankle injury. Joel Veltman also went down with an injury after 65 minutes of play against Wolves, and if he is unable to make a full recovery in time for the match versus United, Gross might start at right back for the Red Devils.
All of the players that were moved to the bench, including Kaoru Mitoma, Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo, and Levi Colwill, will be working hard to earn their spots back in the starting lineup and give De Zerbi some difficult decisions to make.
As a result of their injuries, the Manchester United players Donny van de Beek (knee), Alejandro Garnacho (ankle), Tom Heaton (ankle), Phil Jones (knee), Raphael Varane (ankle), and Lisandro Martinez (foot) will not be available for selection for the Red Devils, and Scott McTominay’s availability is still in question.
Due to Harry Maguire’s inconsistent play, it is probable that Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof will continue to man the center of the defense alongside one another. On the other hand, Ten Hag may choose Aaron Wan-Bissaka over Diogo Dalot to keep Mitoma at bay. As Jadon Sancho’s play remains inconsistent, there is a good chance that Antony will get a chance to shine at the Amex.
The following players are projected to start for Brighton in their 4-2-3-1 formation: Jason Steele, Pascal Gross, Levi Colwill, Lewis Dunk, Pervis Estupinan, Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister; Solly March, Julio Enciso, and Koaru Mitta; Danny Welbeck.
David De Gea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Marcel Sabitzer, Bruno Fernandes, Antony, and Marcus Rashford make up Manchester United’s starting lineup while playing in a 4-3-3 formation.
Brighton vs Manchester United: Prediction
A nail-biting encounter is likely to be on the cards between these two sides with a 1-1 draw being the most likely outcome considering their most recent tightly contested battle in the FA Cup. The Red Devils were defeated 4-0 the year before when they visited the Amex, and the Seagulls also won in August. Considering the most recent tightly contested battle in the FA Cup, another nail-biting encounter is likely to be on the cards between these two teams.