EPL 2017-18: Brighton and Hove Albion vs Manchester United Preview
Brighton and Hove Albion (8-13-14, 37 points) will face Manchester United (24-5-6, 77 points) in the 2017-2018 Premier League. The match is scheduled for Friday at the Amex Stadium.
Brighton and Hove Albion
The Seagulls have been winless in their last six matches with three losses and three draws. Their most recent fixture was on Saturday, which ended in a goalless draw with Burnley at the Turf Moor.
Brighton, who was promoted from the EFL Championship this season, is currently 14th in the English top-flight table. They are five points above the bottom three with only three games left in their campaign.
Chris Hughton’s side is expected to be led by English striker Glenn Murray, who leads the goalscoring charts for the team, with 14 goals this season. German midfielder Pascal Gross is also a reliable goalscoring and playmaking option with six goals and eight assists so far.
English midfielder Steve Sidwell is still unavailable for the match. He has been sidelined with a back injury since September of last year.
Manchester United
The Red Devils will look to tighten their grip on second place as they aim to finish the season strongly. They have won five of their last six assignments, including a 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Old Trafford on Sunday.
French midfielder Paul Pogba scored the opening goal for Jose Mourinho’s side in the 16th minute. Former United standout Henrikh Mkhitaryan then tied the count at 1-1 six minutes into the second half. But Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini netted the winning goal in stoppage time.
United is five points ahead of third-place team Liverpool. They are a far 16 points below league-leaders and soon-to-be champions Manchester City, though.
Mourinho has his full lineup available in this match. However, Romelu Lukaku, Ander Herrera, Chris Smalling, and Pogba are all at risk of suspension.
Predicted Lineup
Here is the potential starting XI for both sides:
Brighton and Hove Albion starting lineup (4-4-1-1 formation): Ryan, Bruno, Duffy, Dunk, Bong, Knockaert, Kayal, Stephens, Izquierdo, Gross, Murray.
Manchester United starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Lindelof, Young, Herrera, Matic, Pogba, Lingard, Sanchez, Lukaku.
Odds
Here are the odds, per Betting.net:
Brighton and Hove Albion – 9/2
Manchester United – 8/13
Draw – 11/4