Two teams that picked up wins on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season go head-to-head in Saturday's early kick-off as Brighton play host to Manchester United.
Both teams kept clean sheets last time out and with that in mind, we're predicting a tight and tense 90 minutes at the American Express Stadium.
Contents
Brighton vs Man Utd prediction: Not many goals expected
Key Stats
- Three of Man Utd's last six fixtures have ended with fewer than three goals scored.
- Man Utd have claimed a 2-0 win at the AmEx in May.
- Both teams have scored in just two of Brighton's last six outings.
Correct score prediction: Brighton 0-1 Man Utd
Erik ten Hag's side claimed a 1-0 win against Fulham last time out and have kept clean sheets in two of their last four meetings with the Seagulls.
Pre-game odds and win probability: Brighton the slight favourite
- HOME: 6/4 (2.50) – 40%
- DRAW: 11/4 (3.75) – 26.7%
- AWAY: 17/10 (2.70) – 37%
*odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change
Brighton are the expected winner of this game with a probability of 40%, but we're backing the visitors this weekend.
You can find all our predictions for today's games on our football betting tips page.
Most recent H2Hs: The Seagulls lead
Brighton have picked up three wins and suffered two defeats in their last five games against the Red Devils but it was Man Utd that claimed all three points when the pair locked horns on the South Coast in May.
England Premier League 19/05/24
Brighton
Man Utd
England Premier League 16/09/23
Man Utd
Brighton
England Premier League 04/05/23
Brighton
Man Utd
England FA Cup 23/04/23
Brighton
Man Utd
England Premier League 19/03/23
Brighton
Man Utd
Brighton preview: Flattered by the 3-0 scoreline against the Toffees
Brighton claimed what looked like an easy win against Everton last weekend but it was the Toffees that dominated the opening 20 minutes.
Once Brighton got ahead in the 25th minute through Kaoru Mitoma and Danny Welbeck made it 2-0 early in the second half, the Seagulls never looked back.
Everton were reduced to 10 men in the 66th minute and this is when Brighton took control of the game, keeping the ball really well and toying with their opponents until substitute Simon Adingra added a third goal three minutes from time.
Solomon March, Bart Verbruggen, Evan Ferguson, Pervis Estupinan, Tariq Lamptey, Julio Enciso and Yankuba Minteh are all doubts for this weekend's match due to injury.
Predicted lineup: Steele (GK), Veltman, Dunk, van Hecke, Milner, Mitoma, Wieffer, Hinshelwood, Welbeck, Pedro & Adingra
England Premier League 28/09/24
L
Chelsea
4
Brighton
2
England Premier League 22/09/24
D
Nottm Forest
2
Brighton
2
England EFL Cup 18/09/24
W
Wolverhampton
2
Brighton
3
England Premier League 14/09/24
D
Ipswich
0
Brighton
0
England Premier League 31/08/24
D
Arsenal
1
Brighton
1
Man Utd preview: Scrapped past Fulham at Old Trafford
Man Utd weren't at their best at home to Fulham last Friday but Erik ten Hag's men did enough to win the game, and that's all that really matters.
The only goal of the game late on to spare United's blushes and it was two of the substitutes that combined to score the goal as Alejandro Garnacho set up Joshua Zirkzee to score his first goal for the club.
It will be interesting to see if both players make it into the starting lineup for the trip to Brighton this weekend.
Leny Yoro, Tyrell Malacia, Will Fish, Luke Shaw, Rasmus Hojlund and Victor Lindelof could all miss Saturday's early kick-off through injury.
Predicted lineup: Onana (GK), Maguire, Mazraoui, Dalot, Martínez, Casemiro, Fernandes, Mount, Mainoo, Rashford & Garnacho
UEFA Europa League 03/10/24
D
FC Porto
3
Man Utd
3
England Premier League 29/09/24
L
Tottenham
3
Man Utd
0
UEFA Europa League 25/09/24
D
FC Twente
1
Man Utd
1
England Premier League 21/09/24
D
Crystal Palace
0
Man Utd
0
England EFL Cup 17/09/24
W
Barnsley
0
Man Utd
7
Player to watch – Joshua Zirkzee
Joshua Zirkzee is a player that most Premier League scouts will have taken a look at over the years but his contributions on the pitch never really matched up with his supposed talent until he went on loan to Anderlecht in 2021.
The Dutch striker scored 16 times in 38 league games for the Belgian club and was signed by Bologna the following season where he netted 13 times in 53 appearances in Serie A before being signed by Man Utd this summer.
Came off the bench to score United's winner against Fulham
Zirkzee is already off the mark for the Premier League giants and it will be interesting to see how long it takes the 23-year-old before he becomes a regular fixture in Erik ten Hag's starting lineup.
