Brighton v Bournemouth
PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: The American Express Community Stadium
Date: Monday 1st January 2018
Kick-off: 12:30 GMT
Referee: Michael Oliver
Assistants: Simon Bennett, Dan Cook
Fourth official: Kevin Friend
TEAM NEWS
Brighton pair Lewis Dunk and Anthony Knockaert must serve a one-match ban after both being booked for the fifth time this season against Newcastle.
Steve Sidwell remains sidelined due to a long-standing back injury.
Bournemouth will be without Josh King, who suffered another hamstring injury against Everton at the weekend.
Adam Smith and Nathan Ake face fitness tests, whilst Jermain Defoe and Junior Stanislas are among a lengthy list of absentees for the Cherries.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Jonathan Pearce: "This is crucial. Brighton can open a seven-point gap above the bottom three with a victory that would give a decent Yuletide return of seven points from four games.
"They've won only once at home since September. There have been too many draws and too few goals.
"Some people have jumped the gun over a Moussa Dembele move from Celtic. But they urgently need more firepower. Suspensions to Lewis Dunk and Anthony Knockaert won't help either.
"Bournemouth have rediscovered their scoring form and deserved the win against Everton. But injuries to Jermain Defoe and Josh King will blunt their quest to leapfrog the Seagulls.
"If Brighton start positively, I expect a home win."
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton: "What tends to happen is the mainstays of this division who haven't had a great first half of the season generally get stronger as the season goes on.
"Everton got away a little while ago, but your West Hams are down the bottom and you always expect that they're going to get away.
"What you have to be able to do is look after your own results, because if you continue to look at other results then you'll end up being disappointed most weeks."
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe: "Unless you've been following us the past few weeks, you won't know we've been shooting ourselves in the foot a little bit with individual errors.
"We do make it difficult for ourselves but that's when the true character comes through."
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
[*=left]Bournemouth have won the four most recent meetings, including the reverse Premier League fixture and a League Cup tie this season.
[*=left]Brighton are winless in eight games in this fixture since a 3-2 home victory in League One on New Year's Day 2008. Alex Revell scored a hat-trick for the Seagulls that day.
[*=left]This will be the first league game Bournemouth have played on New Year's Day since 2014 - when they drew 1-1 with Brighton in the Championship at the Amex Stadium.
Brighton
[*=left]Brighton have lost only one of their last nine home league games (W3, D5).
[*=left]The only goals conceded by Brighton at the Amex Stadium in their last four matches came in the 5-1 defeat against Liverpool on 2 December.
[*=left]However, Pascal Gross' strike in their 1-0 home win against Watford on 23 December is their only league goal in six games since that Liverpool defeat.
[*=left]The Seagulls have failed to score in 11 of their 21 Premier League matches.
Bournemouth
[*=left]Bournemouth's victory against Everton on Saturday ended a club record-equalling run of eight Premier League matches without a win, which included four defeats.
[*=left]The Cherries are without a victory in their last four away games since a 1-0 triumph at Newcastle on 4 November.
[*=left]They have failed to score in three of those four matches, and have managed just six away league goals so far in 2017-18.
[*=left]Ryan Fraser's two goals against Everton was as many as he had scored in his previous 31 Premier League games.
