Since this article was published, this match has been postponed due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Brighton & Hove Albion make a start to life without Graham Potter with a journey across the South Coast to meet Bournemouth in Saturday afternoon's Premier League showdown.

The Seagulls thumped Leicester City 5-2 in what proved to be Potter's final game in charge last weekend, while the Cherries spectacularly overcame Nottingham Forest 3-2.

Match preview

© Reuters

Many were quick to label Scott Parker's sacking a grave mistake from the powers-that-be at Bournemouth, but the new manager bounce has been in full swing under Gary O'Neil, who led his side to a dramatic fightback over Forest at the City Ground.

Cheikhou Kouyate and Brennan Johnson would score the goals that would seemingly signal a straightforward win for Steve Cooper's side, but Philip Billing's thunderbolt, Dominic Solanke's equaliser and Jaidon Anthony's 87th-minute winner completed a remarkable turnaround for Bournemouth.

Following on from their goalless stalemate with Wolverhampton Wanderers in ideal fashion, the Cherries have elevated themselves away from the drop zone at this early stage of the season and now occupy 13th spot in the table with a seven-point haul.

Interim manager O'Neil is understandably giving very little thought to the idea of a permanent job at the Vitality Stadium, and the 39-year-old must still prove that such a positive start can be maintained, but there has been plenty for the Cherries to cheer so far.

Next on the agenda for Bournemouth is ending a two-game run without a win or a goal in front of their own fans, but the Cherries have never gone three home games in the Premier League without scoring, and Brighton have been spending their recent hours digesting what was an inevitable occurrence.

© Reuters

Few expected Potter to depart his Brighton post so soon after last season's top-half finish and subsequent strong start to the new season, but when the Chelsea hotseat came calling, the Englishman could not pass up the opportunity to act as successor to Champions League winner Thomas Tuchel.

Potter's switch to Stamford Bridge happened rapidly following confirmation of Tuchel's departure on Wednesday morning, and the 47-year-old was announced as the Blues' new head coach on Wednesday afternoon, leaving the South Coast with fond memories and multiple admirers.

Some of the finest players that Potter has worked with at Brighton put on a show for his final game last weekend, as Alexis Mac Allister was at the double in a 5-2 success over Leicester City in which Leandro Trossard and Moises Caicedo also netted.

Under-21s manager Andrew Crofts prepares to take temporary charge with Brighton still occupying fourth place in the table after gleaning 13 points from 18 on offer, and their recent loss to Fulham was just a second defeat from their last 16 against newly-promoted outfits.

Since the Seagulls earned promotion to the big time in 2017, only one of their six Premier League showdowns with Bournemouth has ended in victory, and the most recent encounter in January 2020 ended in a 3-1 success for the Cherries.

Team News

© Reuters

Bournemouth attacker David Brooks continues to make positive steps in his return to first-team football after recovering from Hodgkin lymphoma, but O'Neil is stressing caution over the 25-year-old, who most likely still needs a bit more time before being cleared for Premier League action.

Ben Pearson and Junior Stanislas also take up spots in the hosts' treatment room with knee and groin injuries respectively, but Joe Rothwell could recover from a thigh problem in time to make the squad.

Ryan Christie may be worrying for his place after Anthony's winner off the bench at the City Ground, while Jordan Zemura was hooked at half time when Bournemouth were 2-0 down and is under threat from Ryan Fredericks.

Meanwhile, Brighton have not been handed any fresh fitness concerns since the thumping of Leicester, with Adam Lallana and Jakub Moder still confined to the infirmary.

Jeremy Sarmiento is edging closer to a comeback from a knee injury and might be able to be involved in some capacity this weekend, and Crofts should see no reason to alter the three-man defence from Potter's stellar era.

The interim Seagulls coach may very well opt to make no changes to the side that put five past Leicester, as Pascal Gross seeks to add one more goal or assist to reach 50 Premier League contributions - Mesut Ozil, Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane are the only German players to have already achieved that feat.

Bournemouth possible starting lineup:
Neto; Smith, Kelly, Mepham, Zemura; Tavernier, Cook, Lerma, Christie; Billing; Solanke

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Veltman, Dunk, Webster; March, Caicedo, Mac Allister, Trossard; Mwepu, Gross; Welbeck

We say: Bournemouth 1-3 Brighton & Hove Albion

It remains to be seen if fixtures will go ahead as scheduled this weekend following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, but Brighton are aiming to make a statement of intent following a major managerial shift, and Crofts certainly has the talent at his disposal to kick off his stint in the hosteat in perfect fashion.

O'Neil is enjoying a golden start to his own interim stint in charge, but with defensive lapses still a theme for this Bournemouth side, we can envisage Brighton picking up where they left off with a goal-laden success.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Previews by email