Andoni Iraola has said Brighton & Hove Albion have a “very good squad” ahead of their Premier League clash on Monday night.
Iraola’s Bournemouth travel hoping for their first win at the AMEX since 2019, when they romped a then relegation threatened side 5-0.
But Brighton have lost just one home game in their last 14 matches, and Iraola was quick to praise the squad available to boss Fabian Hurzeler.
He said: “They play very well.
“It’s a very good squad I would say. I think it’s a team that finishes the game very strong, because their players that come from the bench are as good or better than the ones starting.”
Brighton have only won one of their last eight games, but Iraola sympathises, with his own side having gone through a similar winless run.
“I think it’s the level of the competition, teams like Brighton that play so well, sometimes they can go through these kinds of runs, like it’s happened to us.”
Iraola is set to be boosted by the return of last seasons player of the season Ryan Christie, who has played just one game since the beginning of the December due to a knee injury.
On Christie, Iraola said: “Ryan is feeling better.
“I hope he can be available for Monday. I think he’s training in a better level than he has been previously and I hope we can recover.”
Despite this, the Spaniard has labelled his squad “thin”, with David Brooks set to be the latest absentee due to twisting his ankle against Newcastle. Enes Unal will be out for “two or three weeks” with an abductor injury, also picked up in that Newcastle game.
Iraola had previously admitted he wanted signings in before this fixture, but wouldn’t be drawn on speculation linking with Alex Toth and Rayan, refusing to comment on players that aren’t his.
Iraola said he is “definitely concerned” by his team having the worst away defensive record in the league this season, citing frustrations at the goals conceded.
He said: “You are able to score two, three, four goals away, you should get more wins and we are not getting them because we are conceding goals and this has been lately the reason we are not getting results.”
Iraola has said his team will “suffer” if they are not “switched-on” throughout the game, due to all of Brighton’s players being so “comfortable on the ball”.
He said: “I want to control the game and have the ball. We will have to be very intense, and very good.”
Games between the two sides in the last few years have been very close, but Iraola will be hoping for a repeat of the 2-1 win at Vitality Stadium in September.
You can hear Andoni discuss his thoughts for the game during our Buzz bulletin here:
A win would see the Cherries move level on points with Brighton, although they wouldn’t go above them due to the Seagull’s superior goal difference.
Kickoff on Monday night is at 8PM, live on Sky Sports.
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