[Albion] Brighton & Hove Albion vs Luton Town *** Official Match Thread ***

[Dick Head]

Albion v Luton

PREMIER LEAGUE

Venue: The American Express Stadium
Date: Saturday 12th August 2023
Kick-off: 15:00 BST
Referee: David Coote
Assistants: Mark Scholes, Timothy Wood
Fourth Official: John Busby
VAR: Robert Jones
Additional VAR: Wade Smith
​

TEAM NEWS

Brighton will be without Moises Caicedo after the club agreed a £111m fee with Liverpool for the midfielder, who is also being pursued by Chelsea.

New signings such as Joao Pedro, Mahmoud Dahoud and James Milner could make their Seagulls debuts.

Jakub Moder and Tariq Lamptey are absent through injury.

Luton's Jordan Clark and Daniel Potts miss out because both suffered ankle injuries in a pre-season friendly last weekend.

They join Reece Burke and Gabriel Osho on the sidelines, but recent recruit Mads Andersen should be available after sickness.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• The last time the sides faced each other was in the southern section final of the 2008-09 Football League Trophy, while the most recent league meeting was in League One in 2007-08.
• The only previous top-flight encounters came in the 1982-83 campaign, with Luton enjoying a 5-0 win at home and a 4-2 victory away.
• Only six of the 56 league games between these clubs have been won by the away team, with three victories for each side.

Albion

• Brighton achieved their highest top-flight finish of sixth last season, despite not winning more than two league games in succession.
• They also lost three of their six league games against newly promoted sides, which was as many as they suffered in their previous three campaigns combined. It was also as many losses as they recorded against the five teams that finished above them in the table.
• Their tally of 72 top-flight goals in 2022-23 was 30 more than their previous best in a Premier League season.
• James Milner could equal the record for appearing in 22 different Premier League seasons, held by Ryan Giggs.

Luton

• This is Luton's first top-flight game since a 2-1 loss to Notts County in May 1992.
• They are the 51st team to play in the Premier League.
• None of the last four top-flight debutants were relegated in their first season (Bournemouth, Huddersfield Town, Brighton and Brentford).
• Cardiff City in 2013-14 were the last side to go straight down after their first season of Premier League football.
• The Hatters are without a win in 26 top-flight away matches since a 2-1 victory at Aston Villa in March 1991.
• They took only five points out of a possible 63 in away matches in their most recent top-flight campaign in 1991-92.

Roberto De Zerbi's Luton Town Press Conference

 

[Mortdecai]

 

[trueblue]

Some football. Thank God.

 

[Justice]

Who’s buzzing for the football? I feel like a kid at Christmas

 

[indy3050]

Deleted as not clear at all what I was getting at…

 

[pocketseagull]

Excited but apprehensive, think Luton running on adrenaline will try to surprise by being extremely attacking from the off. If that happens our crowd could be cowed.

 

[Djmiles]

£5 on Caicedo own goal?

I’ll donate £5 to charity if Caicedo is seen within 40 miles of The Amex tomorrow

 

[wellquickwoody]

Will the first complaints on here about Luton being in home areas, be during the game or post match?

 

[dstanman]

Good to see this thread back again for another season.
Looking forward to being back at the Amex to watch the lads. Going to be interesting to see what the team selection is.

 

[jimhigham]

Excited but apprehensive, think Luton running on adrenaline will try to surprise by being extremely attacking from the off. If that happens our crowd could be cowed.

Certainly don’t want a cowed crowd. Need the crowd to be loud, proud and unbowed.

 

[BBassic]

Through to the next round today lads, no excuses.

 

[trueblue]

Luton will be tricky. Physical and pumped up for the occasion. Probably a day for a starting line-up already attuned to the rough and tumble of English football. We need to be right on it. Later in the season, I’d back us to win very comfortably but with the team reshaped and new players adapting to De Zerbi’s unique style, it’s a dangerous opener. I’ll take us to win 3-1 though.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Thank god it’s back, gives us something else to focus on rather than threads such as, “Animals, Do you respect them”?

Not a straight forward game today but think we have enough to define our season from the outset.

Added bonus of new seats this season so the potential to moan about new things is high, lovely stuff

 

[Beach Hut]

So excited

 

[Van Cleef]

Certainly don’t want a cowed crowd. Need the crowd to be loud, proud and unbowed.

We won't be cowed. That's bull.

 

[Oh_aye]

Sadly can't be there as on holidays. Hopefully it isn't a Lutonian sitting in my seat.

Can't see this being straightforward in any way. Luton will be full of beans. I'd take any old scrappy win now to get us on our way.

Will be interesting to see if the Luton manager has done his homework on our style of play. Our achilles heal has been teams who keep it tight but have pace and directness in attack.

The only way I can see us giving them a pasting is if they go all guns blazing and press like maniacs from minute one. Sometimes adrenaline makes players do that even if they've been coached not to.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Gutted I can't make the first game of what is set to be one of its most memorable seasons ever. But still as excited as a kid with a BMX shaped present under the Christmas tree.

 

[Simster]

I am fearful of the Caicedo shaped hole in our midfield. I went for 2-2 and sadly I am standing by that.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

I am fearful of the Caicedo shaped hole in our midfield. I went for 2-2 and sadly I am standing by that.

Caicedo and Macallister shaped hole. I am worried about our lack of dynamism in there. However, I am hopeful of a Lallana and Gross masterclass.

 

[Terry Connor]

So excited

SO excited