Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester United

Amex Stadium forms the backdrop for a high-stakes Premier League encounter between high-flying Brighton & Hove Albion and top-four-bound Manchester United.

Despite resting several first-team stars, Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi oversaw an emphatic 6-0 home triumph over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend, bolstering the club’s hopes of securing a first-ever European qualification. Heading into the season’s run-in, the ‘Seagulls’ trail sixth-placed Aston Villa by two points, yet with three games in hand, they’re in a prime position to a coveted European finish. Playing at the Amex will add to Brighton’s confidence after they’ve won three of their last four home league outings (D1), netting an intimidating average of 3.5 goals per game in the process. On top of that, the hosts have emerged victorious in three of their four most recent midweek Premier League match-ups (L1), while they thrashed Man Utd 4-0 in this corresponding fixture in 2021/22.

In the meantime, Man Utd’s 1-0 home triumph over Villa last weekend put them in cruising control of their top-four fate, moving Erik ten Hag’s team seven points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool at the start of this round. With a game in hand, the ‘Red Devils’ should stroll to a third top-four finish in four seasons, yet their form woes on the road require immediate attention. They have claimed just one win on their last 13 Premier League travels to take on sides from the upper half of the table (D3, L9). Moreover, among clubs fighting for European qualification in the Premier League, only Tottenham Hotspur (35) have conceded more away goals than Man Utd (31) this term. Things are unlikely to improve at the Amex, where they’ve lost three of their five previous top-flight meetings with Brighton (W2).