It’s 15th vs. 16th as two teams with very similar records meet at the Amex on Saturday. Brighton & Hove Albion and Bournemouth both sit on 20 points – two points clear of the relegation zone.
Both sides have a record of W5/D5/L9 in the Premier League this season. The two teams also share the same goal difference (-6), but Brighton find themselves one place above Bournemouth in the standings due to their superior goals scored record.
The hosts come into this game on the back of a four-game winless record which has seen them draw two and lose two.
Following draws with Wolves and Crystal Palace, the Seagulls were beaten by Sheffield United before suffering a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Boxing Day.
Brighton showed early promise against Spurs and took the lead through Adam Webster. However, they failed to hold on and two second-half goals handed Graham Potter’s men a second defeat on the bounce.
On the other hand, Bournemouth will feel a little hard done by in their previous game. The Cherries dominated large spells of the game against Arsenal, but eventually had to settle for a draw.
Dan Gosling’s second goal in three games put Eddie Howe’s side ahead, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang levelled for the Gunners.
After losing five straight league games, Bournemouth claimed an important victory over Chelsea earlier in the month. Still, Howe’s men have ultimately failed to build on the win at Stamford Bridge.
With that being said, Bournemouth won’t be too displeased with an away trip this weekend. The Cherries are currently eleventh in the away table, but find themselves sixteenth in the home standings.
By contrast, Brighton have picked up more points at home this season. The Seagulls have also been far stronger defensively at the Amex, as opposed to on the road.
It’s worth pointing out that Bournemouth have only lost to Brighton once in the last 12 meetings between the two teams.
Brighton beat Bournemouth 3-1 in the FA Cup last season, but the Cherries hammered Brighton 5-0 in this fixture last term.
However, the two sides are very evenly matched at the moment, so there is likely to be very little separating the two teams this time around.
Forebet predicts that a low-scoring draw is on the cards. Neither side will want to lose this game, so the points are likely to be shared.