Prediction: Draw
Best Odds: 23/10
Bookmaker: 888sport
The Premier League is back once again this weekend as we continue to roll through the early stages of the campaign before we hit the winter break next month. There’s still a whole lot of football to be played before we stop for the World Cup and at this point, every point matters. Today, we’ll take a look at two potential surprise packages this season – Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Brentford
The dreaded second season syndrome is something that’ll be hanging over the heads of Brentford until they secure survival again, but to their credit, they’ve definitely tried to mix things up in order to avoid being ‘found out’ by some of their top flight rivals. Whether or not it’s sustainable between now and May is another matter, but for the time being, they’ve got some leverage before any relegation scrap begins.
Team News
Norgaard and Lewis-Potter are both still out of action through injury whereas Jansson is currently seen as a fitness concern.
Brighton
A new manager coming through the door can always be daunting but based on what we’ve seen thus far, the Seagulls are still well-placed to push for a top half finish, and potentially even more than that. They’re finally starting to get out of that midtable funk and as an established club within the Premier League setup, they have nothing to lose in pursuit of a possible European adventure.
Team News
Moder will be out for a while through a knee injury, with the big news being that Enock Mwepu has been forced to retire due to a heart issue.
Factors to Consider
- Brighton won both of their games against Brentford last season.
- Brentford have won one, drawn three and lost two of their last six games.
- Brighton have won three, drawn one and lost two of their last six games.
- Brentford have scored eight goals and conceded 12 in their last six games.
- Brighton have scored 13 goals and conceded eight in their last six games.
Conclusion
The home crowd in Brentford knows how to get behind their side when they start fast, and that’s exactly what we expect the Bees to do given their run of form lately. We think they’ll come straight at a Brighton team who will have the pressure on their shoulders to get the win, but ultimately, they’ll cancel one another out in a grit vs quality battle that ends in a 1-1 draw.
Prediction: Draw
Best Odds: 23/10
Bookmaker: 888sport
