Two Premier League teams harbouring realistic aspirations of securing European football for next season do battle at the Amex Stadium on Saturday afternoon as Brighton & Hove Albion play host to Fulham.
The Seagulls will be seeking revenge against the Cottagers after they were beaten 3-1 in the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage three months ago.
Match preview
Since suffering a painful 7-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest at the beginning of February - the club's heaviest league loss for 67 years - Brighton have responded well and have put together a five-game winning streak in all competitions.
Premier League victories over Chelsea (3-0), Southampton (4-0) and Bournemouth (2-1) were bookended by FA Cup fourth and fifth-round wins against Chelsea and Newcastle United respectively, beating the latter 2-1 after extra time last weekend courtesy of goals form Yankuba Minteh and Danny Welbeck.
Fabian Hurzeler's side will renew acquaintances with Nottingham Forest in the quarter-finals later this month, but they will now shift their attention back to the Premier League and their quest to qualify for Europe. The Seagulls currently sit eighth in the table and only four points behind the top four with 11 games remaining.
Brighton head into Saturday's contest seeking to win four consecutive top-flight matches for just the second time in their history, last doing so in April/May 1981. The only team in English top-flight history to have won four in a row immediately after a defeat by seven or more goals are Grimsby Town, who lost 9-1 to Arsenal back in January 1931 before winning their next four games.
The Seagulls will be required to achieve a club first if they wish to continue their winning run, as they have never beaten Fulham as a Premier League club in nine attempts (D4 L5), both the most times they have ever faced an opponent without winning and the most the Cottagers have faced an opponent without losing in the division.
After winning four games out of five across all competitions in the month of February, Fulham kick-started March in positive fashion as they knocked out FA Cup holders Manchester United in the fifth round last weekend, winning 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes at Old Trafford.
A quarter-final home tie with Crystal Palace - the only team to beat Fulham (2-0) over the last four weeks - awaits later this month and the Cottagers "deserve to be in the next stage" in the eyes of head coach Marco Silva, who is hoping to steer the club to their first-ever major piece of silverware.
Fulham are now focused on improving their position in the Premier League; they currently sit ninth in the table, just one point and one place behind Brighton, and they know that a win over the Seagulls this weekend could see them climb to as high as sixth if other results go their way.
The Cottagers have won each their last three Premier League away games against Leicester (2-0), Newcastle (2-1) and Wolves (2-1), last winning more consecutively in the top flight in March/April 1966 (five). Fulham's six away victories this season is already their second-most in a single Premier League campaign (seven in 2022-23).
Silva and co have come out on top against Brighton by 3-0 and 3-1 scorelines in their last two Premier League meetings; the only team that Fulham have ever beaten in three successive top-flight encounters while scoring three or more goals each time is West Ham (between 1965 and 1966).
Team News
Brighton's Ferdi Kadioglu (toe), Igor Julio (thigh), James Milner (hamstring), Joel Veltman (knock), Jason Steele (shoulder) and captain Lewis Dunk (rib) all remain sidelined with injuries, while Matt O'Riley has recovered from illness but remains doubtful with a minor knee issue and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Kaoru Mitoma has been passed fit to play after he was taken off with cramp against Newcastle, but Tariq Lamptey is suspended after receiving two yellow cards last time out, so Jack Hinshelwood could be tasked with filling in at right-back and either Yasin Ayari or Diego Gomez could partner Carlos Baleba in centre-midfield.
Minteh, who has scored three goals in his last four games and has been nominated for February's Premier League Player of the Month award, is set to start again on the right flank, while Welbeck will be pushing to start up front, which could see Joao Pedro move into a deeper attacking role and Georginio Rutter drop down to the substitutes' bench.
As for Fulham, Reiss Nelson (thigh) Kenny Tete (knee) and Harry Wilson (fractured foot) all remain sidelined with injuries, while Adama Traore (ankle) is a doubt and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Sasa Lukic received his 10th booking of the season last time out and will now serve a two-match suspension. Andreas Pereira is the most likely candidate to start in a deeper midfield role alongside Sander Berge, although both Harrison Reed and Tom Cairney are other options at Silva's disposal.
While Alex Iwobi could move over to the right flank if Willian is recalled to start on the left in the potential absence of Traore, Raul Jimenez is set to replace Rodrigo Muniz up front; all nine of the Mexican's PL goals this season have either put Fulham ahead (six) or drawn them level (the) in a match, the most goals by any player with a 100% record in both categories so far this term.
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Hinshelwood, Van Hecke, Webster, Estupinan; Baleba, Ayari; Minteh, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Pereira; Iwobi, Smith Rowe, Willian; Jimenez
We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 2-2 Fulham
Fulham boast an impressive Premier League record against Brighton and have also looked strong away from home in recent weeks, so they should be confident of success on the South Coast this weekend.
However, Brighton have enjoyed an upturn in form and having already beaten fellow European hopefuls Chelsea, Newcastle and Bournemouth in the last few weeks, we are backing the Seagulls to claim at least a share of the spoils on home soil.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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