Brighton v Southampton preview: Relegated Saints make short trip
That wasn’t the first time Roberto De Zerbi left key players out in their pursuit of a maiden European appearance, yet one would expect Alexis Mac Allister and Julio Enciso to feature in this game after that experiment went awry in the North East.
Ahead of the penultimate PL round, Brighton can secure a higher position than last season with two games to spare thanks to their game in hand over many sides.
Improving on their rotten PL home record against sides beginning the round in the drop zone (W4, D10, L4) is crucial against Southampton then, especially as that run was bookended by a shocking 5-1 home defeat against Everton in their last home game!
The EFL Championship beckons for Southampton, who were confirmed as the first side to face the drop this season after a 2-0 loss to Fulham made it four straight defeats to end their 11-year stay in England’s top-tier.
A short farewell tour begins here against their South Coast rivals as talk rumbles on about who will stay and who will go in the coming transfer window.
Sending the away fans home with a win for their final road trip seems unlikely after a run of three trips with 3+ goals conceded.
Another equally calamitous or worse defensive performance would represent their worst such run since 2012/13, and with just one win across the last four years in their final away game of a season (W1, L3), another fruitless awayday beckons for the Saints.
Players to watch: Brighton’s Mac Allister is just one goal shy of equalling Glenn Murray’s record goal haul of eight in one PL season at the Amex.
As for Southampton, 19-year-old Roméo Lavia could become the first teenager to reach ten PL bookings in one season since the notorious Lee Cattermole in 2006/07, and only the third in PL history with one more here!
Hot streak: Brighton vs Southampton or vice versa is the most played fixture in PL history without a single home win for either side (D6, L5)!
