Brighton and Hove Albion head to West Yorkshire this Sunday with a view to creating some history of their own. Fabian Hurzeler’s troops find themselves sitting in seventh position in the Premier League standings, having earned 53 points and sitting just two points away from Bournemouth who currently occupy sixth place. There is an indirect opportunity for Brighton and Hove Albion to get into the Champions League should Bournemouth fall out of contention and Aston Villa, currently sitting in fifth position, win the Europa League.
However, standing across from them will be Leeds United, who have earned themselves absolute freedom in their game. Having secured Premier League survival under Daniel Farke, Leeds currently occupy the 14th spot with 44 points. With the last game in their home stadium of the season fast approaching, Leeds will not want to let the opportunity slip.
FORM
- Leeds United (WDLWD)
- Brighton & Hove Albion (WDWLW)
Both sides enter this penultimate matchweek in formidable domestic form, with each team suffering just a single defeat across their last seven outings in all competitions.
INSIGHTS
- The 6th-Place Golden Ticket: With fourth place no longer mathematically possible, finishing in sixth place would bring historic spoils to Brighton. Should Aston Villa beat Freiburg in Istanbul next week, the extra Champions League spot for the Premier League side would drop into sixth position, leaving Hurzeler just inches away from a record-breaking feat.
- The Eight-Game Hoodoo: The game on Sunday will see Leeds coming into it hungry for revenge. Not only did they lose heavily to Brighton by three goals to zero back in November, but the Whites are looking to end a seven-match winless streak against the Seagulls.
- Mitoma’s World Cup Heartbreak: Despite all of the positive news surrounding Brighton’s European quest, the biggest disappointment for the team remains the absence of their hero player Kaoru Mitoma. The Japanese winger was recently confirmed unfit for the rest of the league campaign due to injury, with Hurzeler revealing a pre-match shocker that Mitoma may also miss the World Cup.
Team News
Leeds United
Daniel Farke is faced with choosing among some players as he prepares for a final goodbye at Elland Road. Leeds United currently have quite a long injury list, and Gabriel Gudmundsson, Ilia Gruev, Jayden Bogle, and Noah Okafor have all been confirmed as unavailable, in addition to Facundo Buonanotte who is not allowed to play in the match. Also, central midfielder Ethan Ampadu may miss the game due to sickness, and if he does not make it, Sean Longstaff would be joined by Anton Stach and Ao Tanaka in midfield.
Expected XI: Darlow; Rodon, Bijol, Bornauw; Gnonto, Stach, Longstaff, Tanaka, Justin; Calvert-Lewin, Nmecha.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Apart from the sad news about Kaoru Mitoma’s injury, Fabian Hurzeler has received some good news from the physiotherapy department, with two central midfield players, namely Diego Gomez and Mats Wieffer, poised to be available for selection. As far as the defense is concerned, it is certain that Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke will be starting their 30th and 35th matches in league action this season respectively. Carlos Baleba will protect the backline alongside the seasoned Pascal Gross.
Expected XI: Verbruggen; Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, De Cuyper; Baleba, Gross; Kadioglu, Hinshelwood, Minteh; Welbeck.
Prediction: It promises to be a fiercely contested 2-2 deadlock. While Brighton have the enormous motivational incentive of securing European football, Leeds have been building a reputation as a fortress at home lately and have remained unbeaten in each of their last four games. Both teams having a host of goals in their last five games makes for a fascinating stalemate.
