Sutton's predictions: Newcastle v Brightonpublished at 08:02 BST 2 May
08:02 BST 2 May
Newcastle still need a point or two to make sure of their Premier League survival, which is not something anyone expected to be saying about them come the start of May.
I do think the Magpies have enough points already - they have 42 and the most third-bottom Tottenham can get is 46 - but I also don't expect them to add to their tally here.
Brighton are on a roll and look strong candidates for sixth place and European football.
I am backing them to win and for Danny Welbeck to notch again for the Seagulls and finish the season as the top-scoring Englishman in the Premier League. He already has 13 goals this season, two more than Ollie Watkins for Aston Villa and Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Leeds.
Newcastle v Brighton: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 19:28 BST 1 May
19:28 BST 1 May
Chris Adams BBC Sport journalist
Newcastle United host Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday (15:00 BST) with the two teams in wildly contrasting form as the visitors push hard for a European spot.
Eddie Howe's Magpies are languishing in 14th having lost four league games on the bounce. January 2021, when Steve Bruce was at the helm, was the last time Newcastle lost five top-flight matches in a row.
Geordie chore
Since a goalless draw with bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers on 18 January – when Newcastle were eighth – they have lost nine out of 12 in the Premier League; a tough watch for the Toon Army, who were dreaming of a Champions League quarter-final a little over seven weeks ago.
At St James' Park, they have registered just one win in their past six games – last month's impressive victory over Manchester United, which came despite playing the second half with 10 men.
A delegation of officials from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Newcastle's majority owners, flew to the North East for meetings this week and the club's dire form was said to be high on the agenda.
One worrying trend for Howe to address is his side's inability to hold on to a lead. Twice last month – at Crystal Palace and in the Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland – Newcastle lost the game despite going ahead.
They have dropped a league-high 25 points from winning positions this season. To compound the situation, the Magpies have won just three points from losing positions this term, the joint fewest in the division.
Brighton breezy
A superb run of six wins in eight league games since being knocked out of the FA Cup on Valentine's Day has left Brighton dreaming of some romantic European getaways next season.
The Seagulls are currently sixth, trailing Aston Villa by eight points. Finishing sixth should mean qualification for the Europa League, but there is still an outside chance it could result in Champions League football.
How? It would require Villa to win the Europa League - they trail Nottingham Forest 1-0 after Thursday's semi-final first leg - and finish fifth in the league, the position they currently occupy.
Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, Danny Welbeck's status as a cult hero in East Sussex is not in doubt. The Englishman will feel very hard done by if he isn't selected for World Cup duty by Thomas Tuchel after the best goalscoring season of his career.
Welbeck, 35, has notched 13 top-flight goals so far, including two in the reverse fixture in October, a game Brighton won 2-1. Only six players in the competition have scored more in a campaign while aged 34 or older.
One more for Welbeck would see him become Brighton's outright top scorer in a Premier League season. He is currently level with Glenn Murray, who bagged 13 in 2018-19.
But the former Manchester United and Arsenal man hasn't been alone in Fabian Hurzeler's side's climb the table. A strong supporting cast has helped the Seagulls score at least twice in each of their past four league games, something they last achieved over February and March 2025.
Welbeck 'feeling fit and strong' - and 'long may it continue'published at 18:30 BST 1 May
18:30 BST 1 May
Image source, Getty Images
Brighton forward Danny Welbeck says the extended break between matches has left him feeling "rested, recharged and ready to go" against Newcastle United this weekend.
Fabian Hurzeler's side have been out of action since their 3-0 win over Chelsea on 21 April, but they travel to St James' Park on Saturday to continue their push for European football.
"We are all definitely full of confidence," 35-year-old Welbeck told BBC Radio Sussex.
"We've had some really good results and performances recently, which gives us confidence and momentum going into the remaining four games of the season.
"You do have a look at the table at the end of the weekend to see how things are, but it is important for us to not focus too much on that. We have to focus on what we can do, which is getting three points."
On passing 50 goals and approaching 200 appearances for Brighton, Welbeck said: "I just keep pushing every single day. It has been a good period for me.
"I've really enjoyed my time here at Brighton - and long may it continue. I'm happy, I'm feeling fit and strong, I'm in a rhythm, and I'm feeling good."
'We love ideas from other sports' - Hurzeler on bringing in MMA fighterpublished at 12:26 BST 1 May
12:26 BST 1 May
Image source, Getty Images
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has explained why he enlisted the help of a German MMA fighter to help his side with their set-piece work.
It comes after 21-year-old midfielder Jack Hinshelwood revealed the head coach's alternative approach to training in a interview with BBC Radio 5 Live.
"It was a couple of months ago so Jack [Hinshelwood] has a good memory," Hurzeler said in his pre-match news conference. "We brought him in because we've spoken a lot about set-pieces, blocking and new trends in the Premier League.
"We are trying to adapt to it because I don't want this club to always be known as a club that is nice.
"In certain moments you have to be quite resilient in personal duels. There are different ways of using your body and skills to win one-v-one duels, especially in set-pieces, and an MMA fighter always has one-v-one duels.
"Their job is to find a way to beat their opponent and we love getting ideas from other sports.
"If players are still remembering it now then it is obviously staying in their minds, which is a positive thing. It proves that we got some ideas from it which have been helpful for us as a team.
"As a club, we have never been known as being dominant in set-pieces or recruiting only for set-pieces, so we need to find ways to be innovative.
"We don't want to be beaten easily when we face taller teams. We might not be that physical regarding our height, but there are always ways you can defend and attack in these one-v-one duels.
"This is why we're trying to use different techniques from MMA as well."
Hurzeler on Gomez, 'refreshing not relaxing' and 'unpredictable' leaguepublished at 11:36 BST 1 May
11:36 BST 1 May
Millie Sian BBC Sport journalist
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Newcastle United at St James' Park (kick-off 15:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Despite being forced off with an injury last time out, Mats Wieffer will be available. The right-back is managing "a small issue in his ankle" but has taken part in training all week.
James Milner and Solly March will not feature at St James' Park. It is hoped both players "will be an option for the next game" against Wolves.
When asked about both of their contracts expiring next month, Hurzeler replied: "I will never discuss internal things about contracts. All I can say is that working with them is great. We've had conversations with them both, so they know how we see them and our plan for the future."
It is the same case regarding the futures of defenders Adam Webster and Joel Veltman.
Diego Gomez is expected to play again this season despite picking up a knee injury last month. Hurzeler said: "I'm very happy about it. It is one of the best pieces of news I've received in the past few weeks." However, the central midfielder will not be part of this weekend's matchday squad.
Danny Welbeck will "always be an option to start" due to his scoring record against the Magpies.
When asked if the 35-year-old forward should be on the plane to the World Cup this summer, Hurzeler replied: "He is a great goalscorer, he can help every team in the world, he makes all the players around him better and he takes care of his team-mates off the pitch. A player like him is difficult to find. I can only give a lot of praise to him. I'm very grateful for the job he does at this club, so I hope he will get his chance."
The extended break between matches was used as time to "refresh not relax". The Albion boss explained: "It was about refreshing mentally and physically after a very intense game against Chelsea. We came back with a lot of energy, enthusiasm and positivity."
He doesn't take a lot of "personal satisfaction" from being nominated for Premier League manager of the month: "I'm responsible being the head coach, but I'm only as good as my players and my staff. It is never a one-man show. One of the biggest strengths of this club is its togetherness."
Pascal Gross, who has also been nominated for Premier League player of the month, has been "superb" this season. Hurzeler praised the midfielder for being "a great connector on and off the pitch", understanding "players of different ages" and having "unbelievable quality".
When asked how he is keeping his players focused on the European push, he replied: "I always keep my approach the same. We have a blue line in our daily work, which means we will never get too depressed when we have our lows and we will never get too euphoric when we have our highs. We know we have the ability, resilience and belief to get the result we deserve."
The fact that Brighton could finish either third or 16th in the Premier League table with just four games to go proves that the league is "unbelievably tight and unpredictable" this season.
On facing Eddie Howe's struggling side, he said: "We have a lot of respect for Newcastle. They have a great squad with great individual quality. They play with such an intensity and energy at their stadium, so we need to go there with the belief we can win. It will be a lot of hard work and we might have to suffer, but we want to be dominant and give ourselves a chance to win."
