Overview
Very few teams can travel to both the Etihad and Old Trafford stadiums in just a few days without having to suffer defeats at both stadiums. However, Fabian Hurzeler has done so with Brighton, as his team continuously achieved impressive results against the two Manchester giants.
After a 1-1 draw at Manchester City's home ground led by Pep Guardiola, Brighton's FA Cup journey continued with a convincing 2-1 victory over Man United. That was a match where the "Red Devils" once again had to taste the bitterness against their former player Danny Welbeck.
The recent holiday was a forgettable time for Brighton, when they did not win any of the 6 Premier League matches in December. However, entering 2026, the home team at Amex Stadium has shown a clear resurgence with two victories in the last three matches in all competitions, thereby extending the unbeaten streak to four.
Brighton entered this round in 11th place in the Premier League table. Regardless of the results of previous matches, if they win all 3 points in the next match, they will still closely follow the group competing for a European Cup spot.
Hurzeler's army also has reason to be confident when returning home. Brighton have won 19 out of 29 points in the Premier League this season at Amex, and have only lost two in the last 18 matches here - both defeats against Aston Villa.
A prominent highlight under the Hurzeler era is the entertainment-rich football philosophy. Brighton has scored and conceded goals in 41/59 Premier League matches since the German strategist took over. This is the highest rate among coaches who have coached at least 50 matches in the league.
In the opposite direction, Bournemouth's statistics also bring many promises to neutral fans. In the last 7 matches, this team has witnessed a total of 35 goals scored at both ends of the field, including the breathtaking chase that ended with a score of 3-3 against Newcastle at St James' Park in the FA Cup.
However, those efforts became meaningless when Bournemouth collapsed in the penalty shootout. That result made Andoni Iraola's army, despite the absence of Antoine Semenyo, quickly return to reality after a 3-2 victory over Tottenham - a match that ended their 11-match winning streak.
Currently ranked in the lower half of the table and three points behind Brighton, Bournemouth entered this round with the goal of ending the nine-match winless streak away from home this season. Notably, their only victory away from home this season was against Tottenham in August last year.
Since then, Bournemouth has always conceded at least two goals in each away game. Besides, they are also experiencing a four-match winning streak at Amex Stadium in the Premier League, making the 2-1 home win against Brighton in September almost meaningless.
Expected lineup:
Verbruggen, Veltman, Dunk, Van Hecke, De Cuyper, Ayari, Gross, Gruda, Gomez, Mitoma, Rutter.
Petrovic, Smith, Hill, Senesi, Truffert, Scott, Cook, Jimenez, Kroupi, Tavernier, Evanilson.
The match between Brighton and Bournemouth takes place at 3:00 AM on January 20 (Vietnam time).
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