Brighton vs Leeds preview: Team news, lineups, prediction
Leeds United face a trip to Brighton and Hove Albion in their next Premier League match on Saturday.
Goals from Brenden Aaronson and Joe Rodon were enough to see Leeds beat West Ham 2-1 at a buoyant Elland Road on Friday.
Nine games into the season, Leeds are 15th in the table, and six points clear of the relegation zone.
They face 12th-placed Brighton on Saturday, and MOT Leeds News highlights everything you need to know ahead of the match.
Preview
Daniel Farke was under pressure at Leeds before the win over West Ham, and he’ll be anticipating another strong performance against the Seagulls.
Leeds are now expected to achieve Premier League survival, and although there is a long way to go, the signs of progress are looking promising under Farke.
As for Brighton, they have beaten Man City and Chelsea this season, yet they dropped points against 20th-placed Wolves, and lost to Everton.
Having just lost 4-2 to Man United, their Achilles heel is a team that is hard to break down, and if Farke gets his tactics spot on, then a win is more than within the realms of possibility.
Form guide
Brighton (last six all comps): D W W D W L
Leeds (last six all comps): L W D L L W
Head-to-head
What is worrying for Leeds fans is that they have struggled to beat Brighton in recent meetings between the pair.
In their six Premier League meetings, Brighton haven’t lost to Leeds, whilst they’ve only suffered defeat to the Peacocks in three of the previous 20 encounters.
Despite the fact that Leeds got the better of the Seagulls in the Championship and League One, they have always struggled in the top-flight against a side now managed by Fabian Hurzeler.
Brighton are expected to beat Leeds, and Farke’s side will need to be at their best to stop their terrible record against their opponents.
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Team news and predicted lineups
Leeds have no new injury concerns to deal with, with Gabriel Gudmundsson likely to make the matchday squad despite being subbed off against West Ham.
Noah Okafor looks set to continue his good run of form, whilst Aaronson will need to deliver more consistent performances after registering just his second Premier League goal against West Ham.
Anton Stach and Sean Longstaff have been elite when it comes to creating chances, and they’re crosses may provide a huge threat to Brighton’s defence.
Willy Gnonto may return to the team, and his addition is much-needed as Leeds look to increase their attacking output from open play.
As for the hosts, Kaoru Mitoma and Brajan Gruda might make a return to the team after missing the defeat in Manchester.
Adam Webster, Jack Hinshelwood, and Solly March remained sidelined, whilst James Milner is unlikely to feature against his old club.
Brighton predicted XI: Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Van Hecke, Dunk, De Cuyper; Baleba, Ayari; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck
Leeds predicted XI: Perri; Bogle, Rodon, Bijol, Justin; Ampadu, Longstaff, Stach; Aaronson, Okafor, Calvert-Lewin
Prediction: Brighton 2-1 Leeds
Leeds will get the best joy out of Saturday’s game if they make themselves hard to break down.
The Seagulls are yet to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League this season, and it gives the visitors a perfect opportunity to hit them on the counter-attack.
As for Brighton’s attacking threat, Danny Welbeck is in the form of his life, and the Leeds defence will have a huge task to try and stop him from netting in the third game in a row.
Brighton’s quality will likely prove too much for Leeds, yet their inconsistent form should give Farke’s side hope that there is a chance of registering an unlikely win.
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