Brighton, Bournemouth go head-to-head in Monday night’s clash.
Brighton vs. Bournemouth kicks off at 20:00 [GMT] on Monday, January 19, at the Amex Stadium.
Brighton head into the match with strong confidence in their home form. The Seagulls have lost just two of their last 18 Premier League games at the Amex (W10 D6), with those defeats coming only against Aston Villa. Against Bournemouth in particular, Brighton have enjoyed notable success on home soil, losing just one of their six Premier League home meetings with the Cherries (W4 D1). Even more impressively, Brighton have won each of the last four home league clashes against Bournemouth since a heavy 5-0 defeat back in April 2019. That record underlines the Amex as a difficult venue for the visitors. On the individual front, Brighton’s attacking threat has been driven by the energy and directness of Yankuba Minteh. Only Erling Haaland has recorded more touches in the opposition box than Minteh in the Premier League this season, highlighting how central the winger has become to Brighton’s attacking play. His ability to stretch defences and arrive in dangerous areas could be decisive against a Bournemouth side that has struggled defensively at times. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Danny Welbeck in attack is expected against the Cherries.
However, Bournemouth arrive with renewed belief after snapping a long winless run. Their dramatic 3-2 victory over Tottenham last time out ended an 11-game stretch without a Premier League win (D5 L6), offering a timely boost to morale. Having already beaten the Seagulls 2-1 at the Vitality Stadium in September, Bournemouth are now chasing just their second-ever Premier League double over Brighton, the first coming in the 2018-19 season. Despite that ambition, consistency remains an issue for the Cherries. They have not won consecutive Premier League games since August, when they put together a three-match winning run. Interestingly, the final two wins in that sequence came against Tottenham and Brighton, respectively, suggesting Bournemouth may feel quietly optimistic about matching up against this opposition when confidence is flowing. In addition, the Cherries can point to the emergence of teenage striker Junior Kroupi as a major positive. At just 19 years old, Kroupi has already scored seven Premier League goals this season, placing him among an elite group of non-British teenagers to reach such a tally in a single campaign. His composure in front of goal has been a rare bright spot during a difficult run and provides Bournemouth with a genuine threat on the counter-attack. Evanilson is expected at the attacking end of Andoni Iraola’s 4—2—3—1 formation.