Brighton vs Southampton: Premier League – Preview and Predictions

Southampton travel to Brighton as they look to score their first points of the season at the Amex.

With two games down and no points on the board it has not been the best start for the Saints. A below par performance against Burnley and sloppiness at the back against Liverpool have so far cost SFC dearly.

Only a pair of matches into the season there’s still no cause for alarm. As the match against the European champions proved what Saints are capable of. The form book is yet to be written and all things are still very much possible.

In contrast Brighton have made a surprisingly strong start to their campaign picking up four points from the first outings. A 3-0 victory, over a typically solid Watford side was a noteworthy achievement.

Past clashes between the two clubs suggest that it’s going to be a tight affair. Of the four Premier League bouts there has been three draws and only one winner. That came as Southampton’s Pierre-Emile Højbjerg found the net back in March.

The South coast teams have also done battle in the League Cup, with the now departed Charlie Austin proving to be a late difference maker, under then manager Mark Hughes.

How Brighton Will Win

The seagulls have shown a surprising level of resilience in the early goings. The side comfortably disposed of the Hornets on their travels and then added a hard-fought point on home soil against West Ham.

Although the team has languished near the foot of the table since joining the top-flight, this time around they appear to be able to play some pretty good football. The goals come not just from the stereotypical hoof and hope approach, but rather with some sharp passing and being able to maintain pressure on their opponents.

With Southampton’s hit and miss defending the hosts stand a good chance of unlocking a fragile back line.

If total football doesn’t work, then there’s always the ever-reliable ball into the box via set piece. Albion have proven adept at this in the past and this season would appear to be no different.

The Hammers struggled to deal with a ball into the box via free kick. Not only did they misjudge the flight of the ball and then fail to prevent a second cross into the box, but also allowed would be goal-scorer Leandro Trossard a several yard head start. Trossard, fired home with little hesitation, but VAR spared the defence’s blushes, ruling it out for offside.

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The goal wasn’t given, but it still showcases many of the challenges that Saints will have to overcome to avoid disaster.

Ralph Hasenhüttl’s men have often failed to deal with adversity in the box. The zonal marking technique has proven problematic with players failing to keep track of opposition threats. If Brighton can lose their marker for just a few seconds, that might be all the time someone needs to slot home. If that doesn’t work the zonal system may allow them the flexibility to quickly switch player positions for a better matchup against the defence.

How Southampton Will Win

If the squad place to the level, they managed against Liverpool then the trip to Sussex should be a prosperous one. Both Danny Ings and Che Adams showed an ability to get in behind Liverpool and create several dangerous opportunities. New boy Moussa Djenepo also proved to be a real handful for his opposition late on. If he can reproduce that against Graham Potter’s side than the hosts will have a headache.

If Southampton can cut out the occasional sloppy pass and close down attackers quickly, they should be in a good position to secure a positive result.

Lineups and Prediction

Brighton 3-4-2-1 (BBC sport)

Goalkeeper: Mathew Ryan

Defenders/Wing Backs: Martín Montoya, Shane Duffy, Lewis Dunk, Dan Burn, Solly March

Midfield: Pascal Groß, Davy Pröpper, Dale Stephens, Leandro Trossard

Striker: Glen Murray

Southampton 3-4-2-1

Goalkeeper: Angus Gunn

Defenders/Wing Backs:  Ryan Bertrand, Kevin Danso, Jannik Vestergaard, Jannik Vestergaard, Yan Valery

Midfielders/Attackers: Nathan Redmond, Moussa Djenepo, Oriol Romeu, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg

Striker:  Che Adams

Score Prediction

0-2