Preview: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Sunderland - prediction, team news, lineups

Two top-half Premier League teams do battle at the Amex Stadium on Saturday afternoon as Brighton & Hove Albion play host to Sunderland.

This is the first ever Premier League meeting between the two clubs and their first in any competition since August 2011 when the Seagulls claimed a 1-0 victory in the second round of the EFL Cup.

Match preview

After accumulating 10 points from an unbeaten four-game run in November (W3 D1), Brighton have since failed to win any of their first three matches in December, with a 1-1 home draw with West Ham sandwiched between defeats against Aston Villa (4-3) and Liverpool (2-0).

The Seagulls lost at Anfield last weekend and they are now winless in their last nine Premier League games in the final month of the year (D5 L4) since beating Tottenham 4-2 in 2023. In fact, only in April (19.4%) do they have a lower win rate in the top flight than they do in December (20.8%).

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler felt that his side “definitely deserved more” against Liverpool, but defeat has seen Brighton slip to 10th in the Premier League table, albeit only three points behind Crystal Palace in fifth place.

Brighton will welcome this weekend’s return to the Amex Stadium where they have picked up 15 of their 23 Premier League points this term (W4 D3 L1). Since the start of last season, the Seagulls have lost just four of their 27 home league fixtures (W12 D11); the only ever-present teams with fewer top-flight home defeats in this period are Arsenal, Aston Villa (both two) and Liverpool (three).

The Seagulls are now gearing up for their first league meeting with Sunderland since February 2005 when they won 2-1 on home soil in the Championship. Including this triumph, 11 of Brighton’s 13 league victories over the Black Cats have come in front of their own fans.

Like Brighton, Sunderland were unable to collect maximum points from either of their first two Premier League matches in December (1-1 draw with Liverpool and 3-0 loss at Man City), but they claimed arguably their biggest win of the season against their arch rivals Newcastle United last weekend.

A bizarre own goal from Nick Woltemade early in the second half was enough to seal a slender 1-0 victory for the Black Cats at the Stadium of Light, their seventh win in the top flight this season which has helped them climb to eighth in the table, three points above Brighton and just two points behind the top four.

Sunderland’s 26 Premier League points this season is the best return by a promoted team after 16 games since Hull City in 2008-09 (also 26). This is also the latest into a campaign that a promoted club has collected the same or more points than the reigning champions (Liverpool this season, also 26) since 2016-17, when after 28 games promoted Burnley had 31 points compared to champions Leicester City on 30.

Head coach Regis Le Bris has insisted that his players are “ready to go again because we know the next opponent will be strong”. The Seagulls have indeed proven to be tricky customers over the years for the Black Cats, who have won just one of their six top-flight meetings (D1 L4, all between 1980 and 1983), beating them 3-0 at Roker Park back in May 1982.

Sunderland’s defensive stability could be key in their quest to claim all three points on Saturday; Le Bris’s side have already kept five clean sheets in the Premier League this season, just one fewer than they managed in the whole of their last season in the top flight (six in 2016-17).

Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:

Sunderland Premier League form:

Team News

Brighton trio Stefanos Tzimas (ACL), Solly March and Adam Webster (both knee) are all long-term absentees, while captain Lewis Dunk and Diego Gomez are both suspended, and in-demand midfielder Carlos Baleba is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Cameroon.

Olivier Boscagli the most likely candidate to replace Dunk and partner Jan Paul van Hecke at centre-back, while the absence of Gomez could see Kaoru Mitoma start his first league game since the end of September on the left flank. Maxim De Cuyper could also deputise on the left, unless he replaces Ferdi Kadioglu at left-back.

Either Yasin Ayari or James Milner could replace Baleba and link up with Jack Hinshelwood in centre-midfield, while striker Danny Welbeck - who scored six goals in 26 Premier League games for Sunderland in 2010-11 - will hope to return to the first XI after the Seagulls registered just one of their 14 shots on target against Liverpool.

As for Sunderland, Noah Sadiki, Chemsdine Talbi, Reinildo Mandava, Bertrand Traore and Arthur Masuaku are all away on Africa Cup of Nations duty, while Luke O'Nien (suspended) and Aji Alese (shoulder) are also unavailable for selection.

However, Le Bris has revealed that Habib Diarra could be in the matchday squad before heading off to AFCON, as the midfielder has made progress in his recovery from a groin injury. A start is unlikely, though, so Chris Rigg could deputise alongside Granit Xhaka and Enzo Le Fee.

Simon Adingra - a £21m summer signing from Brighton - will be hoping to force his way into the first XI, but Le Bris may instead decide to start an additional striker alongside Brian Brobbey, with Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda both pushing for a recall.

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:

Verbruggen; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu; Hinshelwood, Ayari; Minteh, Rutter, De Cuyper; Welbeck

Sunderland possible starting lineup:

Roefs; Mukiele, Geertruida, Ballard, Alderete, Hume; Rigg, Xhaka, Le Fee; Isidor, Brobbey

We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Sunderland

There has been little to separate Brighton and Sunderland over the years, with both club winning 14 games each in 35 head-to-head meetings, and another closely-contest battle could be on the cards this weekend.

The Seagulls will be considered as slight favourites on home soil, but we are backing thee Black Cats to frustrate the hosts and come away with a least a point, despite the absence of several players due to AFCON.

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