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

Brighton & Hove Albion will be looking to strengthen their hopes of securing European football for next season when they welcome already-relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Amex Stadium for a Premier League clash on Saturday afternoon.

The spoils were shared in the reverse fixture at Molineux in October last year when an own goal from Bart Verbruggen was cancelled out by an 86th-minute equaliser from Seagulls defender Jan Paul van Hecke.

Match preview

Boasting a five-game unbeaten league run, Brighton were in high spirits heading into last weekend’s clash against a struggling Newcastle United side who had lost their previous four matches, but it was the Magpies who celebrated a 3-1 victory at St James’ Park.

Jack Hinshelwood’s superb second-half strike set up a nervy finish for the hosts, but the Seagulls ultimately fell to their first defeat since March 4 and have slipped to eighth in the table. However, they remain well-placed for a European spot, as they sit just two points behind Bournemouth in sixth with three matches remaining.

Earlier this year, a dismal run of one win in 13 matches led to some Brighton fans calling for Fabian Hurzeler’s dismissal, but the 33-year-old has since masterminded an admirable revival at the Amex (W6 D1 L2) and has since penned a new long-term contract at the club, who he hopes can “challenge the establishment” in the years to come.

A sixth-placed finish could be enough for Champions League qualification if Aston Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth, so Brighton will be keen to make the most of this weekend’s favourable fixture at home to basement club Wolves, who they have not lost against in their last eight meetings (W5 D3).

The Seagulls have won their last two home games against Liverpool and Chelsea by an aggregate score of 5-1, while they have only lost one of their last 16 top-flight matches against teams starting the day in the relegation zone (W5 D10), though that was a 4-0 defeat against current Wolves head coach Rob Edwards when he was in charge of Luton Town in January 2024.

Wolves are merely playing for pride at this stage of the campaign, with one eye on preparations for next season in the Championship, but the motivation of avoiding a dead-last finish remains a tangible goal for Edwards’s side.

The Old Gold ended a three-game losing run without scoring with a 1-1 draw against mid-table Sunderland at Molineux last weekend. However, the hosts were booed off at full time after they failed to take advantage of playing for more than an hour with 10 men, converting just one of their 17 shots.

Nevertheless, Wolves sit just two points behind fellow relegated side Burnley in 19th heading into their remaining three games, with Saturday’s trip to Brighton followed by a home encounter with Fulham and a trip to Turf Moor on the final day of the season.

Edwards’s men travel to the South Coast this weekend winless in their last 19 Premier League away games (D5 L14); the Old Gold last endured a longer winless league streak on the road between April 2003 and August 2004 (23 matches).

Wolves have only lost one of their last six visits to Brighton (W1 D4), but if they were to suffer defeat this weekend, they would become just the second team in Premier League history to lose against all the other 19 sides in the division in the same season after Sheffield United in 2023-24.

Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:

Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier League form:

Wolverhampton Wanderers form (all competitions):

Team News

Brighton’s Mats Wieffer (ankle) is expected to join Stefanos Tzimas and Adam Webster (both knee) on the sidelines after aggravating an ankle problem in the defeat at Newcastle, while Diego Gomez (knee), James Milner and Solly March (both muscle) are all doubtful.

Joel Veltman, Maxim De Cuyper or Ferdi Kadioglu are all contenders to replace Wieffer at right-back, though the latter could continue at left-back, while captain Lewis Dunk will be looking to force his way back into the first XI ahead of central defender Olivier Boscagli.

Carlos Baleba and Yasin Ayari will be competing for a start alongside Pascal Gross in centre-midfield as Hinshelwood bids to score for a third straight game in an advanced role, while 13-goal Danny Welbeck is set to be joined in attack by Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma.

As for Wolves, Daniel Bentley will continue in goal as first-choice shot-stopper Jose Sa remains out with an ankle injury. Sam Johnstone (shoulder) and Enso Gonzalez (knee) are also sidelined, while Ladislav Krejci (neck) will be assessed.

Yerson Mosquera, Santiago Bueno and Toti Gomes are the most likely trio to start at centre-back if Krejci is not fit to feature. Wing-backs Pedro Lima and Hugo Bueno, meanwhile, are set to complete the back five.

Edwards may consider handing Angel Gomes and Rodrigo Gomes a start, the latter could play in the final third next to Mateus Mane, with either Tolu Arokodare or Adam Armstrong dropping down to the bench.

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:

Verbruggen; Veltman, Van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu; Ayari, Gross; Minteh, Hinshelwood, Mitoma; Welbeck

Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:

Bentley; Mosquera, S. Bueno, Toti; Lima, J. Gomes, Andre, H. Bueno; R. Gomes, Mane; Armstrong

We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves do not want to exit the Premier League on a whimper and will be keen to produce a spirited performance for their travelling supporters.

However, it is difficult to look beyond a victory for a European-chasing Brighton outfit, who are determined to bounce back from last weekend's loss and boast more than enough quality in the final third to breach the Old Gold's leaky backline on multiple occasions.

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