[Albion] Brighton & Hove Albion vs AFC Bournemouth *** Official Match Thread ***

[Dick Head]

Albion v Bournemouth

PREMIER LEAGUE

Venue: The American Express Community Stadium
Date: Saturday 4th February 2023
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Referee: Craig Pawson
Assistants: Stuart Burt, Simon Bennett
Fourth Official: James Linington
VAR: Jarred Gillett
Additional VAR: Natalie Aspinall
​

TEAM NEWS

Brighton will be without World Cup-winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, who is suspended for accumulating five yellow cards.

New signing Facundo Buonanotte will be on the bench but Adam Lallana is out with a muscle problem and Evan Ferguson's knee issue will be assessed.

Bournemouth will give fitness tests to Dominic Solanke (knee) and Marcus Tavernier (hamstring).

David Brooks, Junior Stanislas and Ryan Fredericks are all still out

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Bournemouth have lost just one of the past 12 league meetings (W7, D4).
• The Cherries have won two of their last four league away fixtures versus Brighton (D1, L1).

Albion

• Brighton could go four league games unbeaten for the first time since the opening four matches of the season.
• Roberto De Zerbi's side have 31 points, their highest tally at the halfway point of a Premier League season. Their total of 37 goals is 15 more than their previous best at this stage.
• The Seagulls have scored 26 goals in 13 Premier League games under De Zerbi, with only top two sides Arsenal and Manchester City being more prolific during that period.
• Brighton are the only team to have scored multiple goals in all of their Premier League fixtures since the end of the World Cup.
• Evan Ferguson has scored three goals and had two assists in just 198 minutes of Premier League action this season.
• Kaoru Mitoma has scored six goals in his last 10 Brighton appearances in all competitions.

Bournemouth

• Bournemouth could lose a sixth consecutive away game in the league; they failed to scored in four of those defeats.
• They have the worst away record in the top flight, earning five points and conceding a division-high 31 goals.
• The Cherries are the only side in the Premier League yet to keep a clean sheet away from home this season. They have conceded in each of their last 20 Premier League away games.
• Bournemouth have won just one of their last 11 league matches (D2, L8).
• They have failed to score in 11 of their 20 league fixtures, more than any other top-flight side in 2022-23.
• Bournemouth have faced a joint league-high six penalties in this season's Premier League (along with Brighton), and are one of just two sides yet to be awarded one.

Roberto De Zerbi's Bournemouth Press Conference

 

[Mortdecai]

 

[B-right-on]

One of the games that we'd really struggle under Potter and the start of RDZs tenure.

Assuming they'll do the low block, park the bus, hit us on the break (not watched any Muff games recently), it'll be interesting how RDZ set's up for it.

Can we crack our nemeses and have a decent win? I'm going for 3-0 to the good guys.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

In the presser RdZ is definitely expecting them to sit deep. We'll see how far we've come today. Will this be Forest all over again? I suspect we'll see Sarmiento used to unlock the door.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

In the presser RdZ is definitely expecting them to sit deep. We'll see how far we've come today. Will this be Forest all over again? I suspect we'll see Sarmiento used to unlock the door.

Or Ferguson (hopefully) to run through it

 

[Hamilton]

Often I’d have a bad feeling about this game, but today I feel rather confident.

 

[nicko31]

Often I’d have a bad feeling about this game, but today I feel rather confident.

Smug Eddie long gone, we're in a different place.

We shouldn't be complacent as Muff will be fighting for their lives, but do our stuff and we should have enough

 

[Nobby]

Craig Pawson ref

Another one of the dopey looking, how the hell are they still refereeing at top level, sort of refs.

Let’s hope he has one of his very few ok games today…..

 

[Beach Hut]

So excited

 

[Mackenzie]

Leaving shortly, excited.

 

[BBassic]

All of those Bournemouth stats just scream banana skin.

 

[Deadly Danson]

Craig Pawson ref

Another one of the dopey looking, how the hell are they still refereeing at top level, sort of refs.

Let’s hope he has one of his very few ok games today…..

I'd be more worried about Gillett on VAR duty. He who got Dunk sent off last season and who somehow failed to spot the penalty on March against Villa this season. An utter turnip.

 

[Seagull58]

Pawson and Gillett are a huge concern, massive levels of incompetence. Maybe the big 6 bias will be top 6 bias today?

 

[Icy Gull]

Pawson and Gillett are a huge concern, massive levels of incompetence. Maybe the big 6 bias will be top 6 bias today?

Except we are not currently top six

I too am as worried about incompetence by the officials as I am about ‘Muff. Our players may need the protection they didn’t get at all in the last match against the Scouse Cloggers

 

[deslynhamsmoustache1]

Moments of Individual skill and class beat the low block, round one, round two, round three, bottom corner. Thank you Mitoma. Solid defence, hard working midfield, let the skillster's off the leash and fill their boots. 4-0

 

[Perfidious Albion]

Given our quality, it is easy to say we should be beating “teams like Bournemouth “ .... but this is the Albion and we know them of old. So I look forward to the game in hope rather than expectation.

 

[Hugo Rune]

In terms of tactics, Bournemouth needn’t look too far back to see how you deal with RDZ.



Get ready for plenty of frustration today folks, unless we get an early goal or two.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Bookies give around 30% probability to us not winning today.

The Amex crowd must not treat it as a foregone conclusion and be quiet like they used to be in Championship matches that were "easy wins" on paper.

Listen to RDZ. This can become more difficult to win than Liverpool if a first half goal doesn't materialise for us.

This game and the 3pts are massive. Sing in support for Moises like no individual has been supported at The Amex. Also get behind Solly, Karou, Dunky, Billy Gilmour, Tariq, Jeremy, etc.. whoever plays and has got a song....! They might need us - and they certainly deserve it even if they don't.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Win win win today.......

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

My birthday today, hopefully we do the business