Newport County head into the FA Cup third round in second place in League Two. The Exiles have had some excellent results in recent FA Cup tournaments and will fancy their chances of knocking off Premier League side Brighton at Rodney Parade on Sunday.
Michael Flynn’s team came through the first and second rounds of the FA Cup with wins over Leyton Orient and Salford City. In 2018-19, Newport County played in the FA Cup fifth round, giving Manchester City all they could handle for segments of the match.
Brighton should be worried ahead of their FA Cup third round fixture at Rodney Parade. They are in abysmal form in the Premier League and in a relegation fight. The Seagulls are winless in six straight matches in the league but did draw four of those six games.
Graham Potter’s squad selection could be based around getting his best players rest and avoiding injuries. Just three points separate Brighton from the bottom three.
The FA Cup is an unwanted distraction for the Seagulls as staying in the top flight is far more important than advancing to the fourth round. One player that could get a place in the Brighton team is Percy Tau.
Brighton recalled the South African from his loan at Anderlecht and registered him in time to play against Newport County. It is hoped that the left-footed attacking player will help Brighton’s goal scoring issues.
It isn’t just goal scoring that is a problem for Brighton. They are conceding goals with 28 allowed in the Premier League this term. They concede 1.6 goals per match. Away from home, Brighton are winless in three straight matches. Losing once and drawing twice.
Brighton are a club in crisis and have gone under the radar. This is a team that could be relegated. Making matters worse ahead of the third round of the tournament are the eight players in doubt due to injury.
The likes of Tariq Lamptey, Danny Welbeck, Adam Lallana, and Aaron Connolly are either ruled out or major doubts to appear.
Newport County have played 16 matches at Rodney Parade in all competitions this season. They have posted an 11W-2D-3L record at home. They average 1.56 goals scored and 1.38 allowed to opponents.
The Exiles will give Brighton all they can handle on Sunday. A loss for Brighton is possible as they have simply been bad this season in all competitions. Newport County should pull off a shock and send Brighton tumbling out of the FA Cup.