The stage is set for Brighton & Hove Albion to topple fellow Championship and top of the table side, Newcastle United, to claim the top spot in the league table. Currently second with 57 points with a game in hand, a win in the midweek fixture against Cardiff City would make the week an emphatic one for the Seagulls.
Considering their latest 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday, where as many as three red cards were dispatched by the referee including two reds shown to bring down Sheffield Wednesday to nine men, the intentions of Chris Hughton’s side appeared to be crystal clear: they want to elevate themselves to the next level.
It would be a nail-biting night when the Bluebirds make a trip to the Amex Stadium as the pressure has already mounted on Albion. The forgettable point against Sheffield Wednesday was Glenn Murray’s (who is the club’s leading goal scorer with fifteen league goals) red card after he threw up his arms to block Glenn Loovens. However, Hughton’s squad still looks formidable and here is out Brighton & Hove’s predicted line up to face Neil Warnock’s battalion.
Defence
No surprises as far as the person keeping the gloves are concerned, with David Stockdale being in a superb touch. The 31-year-old has already accumulated 11 clean sheets in 22 appearances and would definitely be stationed between the sticks.
Hughton prefers a backline of four which has yielded hefty dividends so far this term, so Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk could be paired at the heart of the defence, whereas Bruno and Sebastien Pocognoli are expected to be stationed on the right and left back slots, respectively.
Midfield
The midfield and the attack of Brighton did pretty well last weekend and the fans would want to see another stellar performance. Anthony Knockaert, the hero of the last outing who bagged a brace to sink Sheffield Wednesday’s ship, will be devised along with Jamie Murphy on either wing. Oliver Norwood and Dale Stephens are should be getting the nod of the manager to start the proceedings in from the centre of the park.
Attack
Glenn Murray’s red card offence implies that he is out of the midweek fixture against Cardiff City. There is no apparent lack of attacking arsenal with Albion and they are likely to fork out a duo comprising of Sam Baldock and Tomer Hemed up front to meet the offensive needs of the side.
