[Albion] Brighton & Hove Albion vs Fulham *** Official Match Thread ***

[Dick Head]

Albion v Fulham

PREMIER LEAGUE

Venue: The American Express Community Stadium
Date: Saturday 18th February 2023
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Referee: Darren England
Assistants: Dan Cook, Daniel Robathan
Fourth Official: James Linington
VAR: Andre Marriner
Additional VAR: Edward Smart
​

TEAM NEWS

Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi says midfielder Adam Lallana has a "big injury" and will be out for several months.

Jakub Moder and Danny Welbeck will again miss out, but Levi Colwill is nearing a return.

Fulham are definitely without injured midfielder Tom Cairney and long-term absentee Neeskens Kebano.

However, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Antonee Robinson and Willian are all expected be available.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Fulham are unbeaten in all five of their Premier League fixtures with Brighton.
• The Seagulls have faced Fulham more often without winning a Premier League game than any other opponent.
• The Cottagers are looking to complete their first league double over Brighton since the 1992-93 season in the third tier.

Albion

• Brighton are the only Premier League side still unbeaten in all competitions in 2023, having won five and drawn two of their seven matches this year.
• Albion can equal the club top-flight record of three successive home victories, which they last managed in November 2019.
• Only Manchester City, Arsenal and Spurs have scored more top-flight goals than Brighton's 39 this season. The Seagulls need only four goals to surpass their previous highest tally in a Premier League campaign, set last season.
• The Seagulls are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League home games against promoted sides and have kept a clean sheet in each of the last seven.

Fulham

• Fulham's tally of 35 points is the most by a newly-promoted side after 23 games of a Premier League season since Wigan's 37 in 2005-06.
• Only the two Manchester clubs have earned more points since the Premier League resumed after the World Cup than Fulham's 16.
• Their 10 top-flight wins this season is double the amount they managed in their previous top-flight campaign.
• A fifth Premier League away win of 2022-23 would equal their highest tally in a season, set in 2003-04.

Roberto De Zerbi's Fulham Press Conference

 

[Mortdecai]

 

[jcdenton08]

Through to the next round here lads, no excuses

 

[albionfan37]

Massive game this is potentially. Id love a win but would take a draw

 

[Peppermint Tea]

European six-pointer. (Chokes me up typing this).

 

[Seasider78]

Banner ready

 

[Auckland seagull]

Expecting a very tight game. Fulham outthought us last time round and we need to be at our best to take the 3 points.

 

[Beach Hut]

So excited

 

[Icy Gull]

Willian seems to have been reinvigorated by his move to Fulham, he worries me as much as our old Nemesis Mitrovic.

We will do very well to win this game imo, having been able to beat Fulham at will in the Championship they are now a bit of a bogey team.

It promises to be a very open and exciting game.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

It won’t be easy…. I don’t know what has got into them but they have had some great results. But so have we, so we can do it..
If the ball runs for us, if the forwards have their shooting boots, if the goalie does not drop it and if VAR doesn’t rob us … we will be fine !

 

[AmexRuislip]

Win win win all the way...

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Gonna be a tricky match, Fulham look like the finished article whenever I see them on TV, going for a 1 all draw.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Good news that Colwill is nearing a return

 

[Clive Walker]

Brighton 5/8
Draw 3/1
Fulham 9/2

Bookies see it very differently to us fans (me included). Hope they are spot on.

 

[Dick Head]

So excited

were loose

 

[willalbion]

Brighton 5/8
Draw 3/1
Fulham 9/2

Bookies see it very differently to us fans (me included). Hope they are spot on.

That’s very generous odds on Fulham. It still freaks me out to see us odds on to win games.

 

[Official Old Man]

Brighton, Fulham & Brentford fighting it out for Europe, who on earth thought that would happen. For me, this is the biggest game so far this season.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Very interesting that RDZ wants both Buonanotte and Ayari to get game time in this one. Good to have new players in the mix

 

[raymondo]

Very interesting that RDZ wants both Buonanotte and Ayari to get game time in this one. Good to have new players in the mix

He did say something like, didn't he... I wasn't sure if I'd misunderstood his (vastly improved) English

 

[Red Squirrel]

Very interesting that RDZ wants both Buonanotte and Ayari to get game time in this one. Good to have new players in the mix

I thought he was talking about them playing in the game against Stoke and not today but could be wrong