AFC Bournemouth vs Brighton – The Seagulls’ Strong Points

AFC Bournemouth host Brighton and Hove Albion tonight in what is no doubt a pivotal game for both the team, and Eddie Howe himself.

The Cherries currently sit in 19th in the Premier League, with one win in their last 12 games and three points from safety. They face a Brighton side with similar winning problems, with one win in nine. On top of this disappointing run, Brighton have never won a game in January and are without a clean sheet in their last eight away games.

Eddie Howe will be hoping this is the perfect time to change fortunes for his side, but Brighton will prove a stubborn test – and here’s why:

5: The Signing of Neal Maupay

Brighton’s frontman Neal Mapuay moved to The Seagulls in the summer for a fee rumoured to be around £20m, and if he keeps the club up fans will be praising the board for a coup. The Frenchman has nine goal involvements in 24 games, but after returning 37 in 49 for Brentford last year, fans will be certain the striker can pose a threat to a Bournemouth defence missing experienced centre-half Steve Cook.

4: New Manager – New Mentality

When Brighton signed Graham Potter after letting Chris Hughton go in the summer, some fans were skeptical. He had taken a Swansea side, once a mainstay in the Premier League, to 10th place with a play off bid ruled out early in his tenure. However, the 44-year-old has found his groove at Brighton. They play with confidence, passing the ball around teams and choosing to play out of the back rather than long ball it forward. Fans trust Potter and his methodology, and a Bournemouth side low on confidence will need to work hard to shut down the Brighton counter.

3: The Return Fixture

When the two teams faced at the end of last year, it was the blue and white stripes that walked away victors. A 2-0 win at home flattered Bournemouth – who only had two shots all game and were spared a much larger scoreline by VAR and the post. Brighton fielded a team with seven changes from their boxing day defeat to Tottenham, and a first start of the season for Alireza Jahanbakhsh gave him his first goal in 27 appearances. Fans will be hoping the same can happen away from home at The Vitality.

2: The Old Gun’s Stopped Firing

Last season, Brighton heavily relied on 35-year-old veteran Glenn Murray to score their goals in a season in which they stayed up by the skin of their teeth. The striker, once at rivals Palace and Bournemouth, had a decent season, but with their second top scorer Shane Duffy on five goals, and playing at centre back, problems had to be solved. This season, goals have come all across the pitch from the likes of Maupay, Trossard, Webster and more. An over-reliance on a striker is never good, and Brighton seemed to have solved that.

1: A Summer of Sensational Signings

Brighton moved phenomenally in the summer transfer window to sign some players wanted by many Premier League outlets, and each and every one of them have returned. Leandro Trossard has 7 goals involvements in 17 games, and adds a dynamic flair to the LW they’ve been missing. Aaron Mooy was surpsingly sent out on loan from Huddersfield, and has managed a pass completion rate of 80% and 2 key passes each game. Dan Burn and Adam Webster have contributed to a defence with the most aerial duels won in the league at 55%.

Brighton have reinvented their squad, and will need each of these players to perform if they want to beat a Bournemouth side with something to prove.