Brighton & Hove Albion vs Southampton Preview

The Premier League returns this Friday with Brighton & Hove Albion hosting Southampton in the first game of Round 13.

Despite being under a new manager this season, Brighton have enjoyed a brilliant start to the season–their strongest start to a top-flight campaign (W6, D4, L2). A win over Bournemouth in the previous round means the Seagulls sit outside of the Champions League places by goal difference alone.

Victory here will provisionally move them into second-place ahead of Manchester City. Returning home may well inspire further progress from Brighton who arrive here on the back of a six-game unbeaten league run at the AMEX despite keeping just one clean sheet in the process (W3, D3).

With two of those wins coming against top-six opposition, a visit from rock-bottom Southampton wouldn’t usually worry the home faithful too much. However, the fact they’ve drawn both of their home league games this season against bottom-four sides might cause some concern.

Meanwhile, Southampton will make the short trip to the Amex sitting four points behind every other team in the league, having lost ten out of 12 games this season (D1, L1).

The latest of those losses came after taking a 2-1 lead against Liverpool, meaning no side has picked up fewer points than the Saints’ four when taking a lead in Premier League action this season (W1, D1, L3). As a result, there is a strong feeling that the Saints are already doomed to a Championship return.

However, just one defeat across their last seven visits to Brighton may give Southampton a slight psychological boost (W4, D2, L1). Yet the fact they are yet to pick up an away point this season suggests that away fans might be in for another disappointing evening (L6). That losing run is coupled with the lowest-scoring return in top-flight away games (three goals).

Other fixtures taking place this week in the Premier League Fixtures:

Premier League Table