Brighton v Bournemouth: Team newspublished at 19:04 GMT 19 January
19:04 GMT 19 January
Fabian Hurzeler makes four changes to the Brighton side that beat Manchester United in the FA Cup last weekend, with Verbruggen, Dunk, Van Hecke and Mitoma returning to the starting XI.
The visitors, meanwhile, hand forward Amine Adli only a fourth start of the league campaign as they begin life without Antoine Semenyo in the Premier League.
Brighton v Bournemouth: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 08:31 GMT 19 January
08:31 GMT 19 January
Matthew Hobbs BBC Sport journalist
Brighton are bidding to continue a good run of home form this season against a Bournemouth side aiming for back-to-back league wins for the first time since August.
BBC Sport examines some of the key themes going into Monday's meeting at Amex Stadium.
The Seagulls have generally been strong at home this season, with their solitary defeat coming in a chaotic seven-goal contest against Aston Villa in December - and while Fabian Hurzeler's side have since been held by West Ham United and Sunderland, they got back to winning ways against Burnley in their most recent Amex outing.
Part of Brighton's consistent home record so far has been down to an ability to bounce back when going behind, including the 1-1 draw with West Ham on 7 December, during which Georginio Rutter scored a 91st-minute equaliser, along with home wins over Manchester City and Chelsea earlier this season.
Brighton have conceded the opening goal on 12 occasions in 2025-26 and gone on to avoid defeat in seven matches (W3, D4) – the most of any Premier League side.
Affairs were slightly more straightforward when Brighton switched competitions last weekend, triumphing at Old Trafford in the FA Cup courtesy of a virtuoso performance by Danny Welbeck.
The 42-cap England international has been used sparingly in his 16th campaign of top-flight football, although he has still managed to score eight goals – tying his career-best tally after 21 league matches, despite starting just 12.
Welbeck is only two goals away from equalling the best total league tally of his career with 17 games remaining, and if the former Arsenal and Manchester United forward can stay fit and in form, he may yet make a compelling case to be on England's plane to the World Cup later this summer.
Bournemouth searching for away win
Bournemouth rediscovered winning ways of their own last time out in the Premier League, ending an unwanted club record of 11 top-flight fixtures without a victory by beating Tottenham at Vitality Stadium.
Junior Kroupi was again a key performer, scoring his seventh goal of the season in the 3-2 triumph. The 19-year-old has impressed in his first campaign of Premier League football, with only four non-British teenagers - Romelu Lukaku, Nclas Anelka, Robbie Keane and Kelechi Iheanacho - having scored more in a season in the competition.
The Cherries did not enjoy the FA Cup weekend as much as Monday's opponents, again failing to find a way to win away from home and being eliminated on penalties following a 3-3 draw at Newcastle United.
Bournemouth have not won on the road in any competition since a 1-0 victory at Tottenham on 30 August - a run of nine matches, with only Leeds, Burnley and Wolves picking up fewer Premier League points than Bournemouth's seven away from home.
Andoni Iraola's side have also lost on their past four visits to the Amex, although they may take confidence from beating Brighton at home earlier this season as they target just a second Premier League double in this fixture and first since 2019.
Sutton's predictions: Brighton v Bournemouthpublished at 14:37 GMT 18 January
14:37 GMT 18 January
Antoine Semenyo is a huge miss for Bournemouth now he has joined Manchester City, but they are still an attack-minded team and I always fancy them to score.
Brighton are the same, in that they look dangerous when they come forward but can also appear very open.
So this should be a very entertaining game and we should see a few goals too. I just can't pick a winner.
🎧'The best squad we've ever had'published at 10:43 GMT 17 January
10:43 GMT 17 January
The team on Albion Unlimited have been looking forward to the Seagulls' next encounter - the visit of Bournemouth on Monday (20:00 GMT).
Host Johnny Cantor and former Albion midfielder Warren Aspinall praised the team spirit on show at Brighton, noting their resilience. Albion have won 13 points from losing positions this season, a total only bettered by Aston Villa in the Premier League.
"People who have come into the team have hit the ground running," said Aspinall.
"It's testament to them - they get the chance and take it. But they'll probably be dropped Monday night.
"Diego Coppola wants to go to the World Cup. He wants to be playing regularly. He's not going to get it. I wouldn't be surprised if he needs to go on loan somewhere to play regular football. That could be a blow for us.
"We have a great squad. I think it's the best squad - not 11 - the best squad we've ever had."
Listen to every Brighton game live on BBC Radio Sussex, with all the build-up and full commentary with Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall, and there is a full preview of all Seagulls' matches on Fridays at 18:00 in The Weekend Warm-up
Hurzeler on team fitness, Welbeck and Bournemouthpublished at 10:27 GMT 16 January
10:27 GMT 16 January
Katie Stafford BBC Sport journalist
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Monday's Premier League game against Bournemouth at American Express Stadium (kick-off 20:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
There has been some sickness in the camp this week but as the game isn't until Monday, Hurzeler is hopeful the players will have time to recover and still be an option.
Carlos Baleba is back from Afcon and is "in good shape and good mood" so he should be available to face Bournemouth.
Yankuba Minteh will return but Mats Wieffer remains sidelined.
On the reason to bring Mike Anthony in as head of player development and high performance: "We saw some things [from New Zealand rugby] that I thought we could bring in to our culture and help us improve our connection and how we collaborate together."
Hurzeler said the club's medical department deserve "big praise" as Danny Welbeck "has been playing an incredible amount of minutes" in the last couple of months and that is down to their hard work and his "professional" attitude.
He said Evan Ferguson, who has been linked with a switch to Celtic on loan in this window, is expected to remain at Roma and not make the switch.
On Bournemouth: "We expect intensity because they are capable of beating every team. They demand a lot from us so we have to be mentally and physically at our highest level to beat them."
Gossip: Man Utd confident in Baleba pursuit published at 08:07 GMT 16 January
08:07 GMT 16 January
Manchester United are growing increasingly confident they will sign Cameroon midfielder Carlos Baleba, 22, from Brighton in the summer. (Sun), external
Leeds set to hijack Chelsea's Buonanotte loan dealpublished at 12:35 GMT 15 January
12:35 GMT 15 January
Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Leeds United are set to take over Chelsea's loan move for Brighton midfielder Facundo Buonanotte.
The 21-year-old has made only one Premier League appearance for Chelsea, in September, after the Blues hijacked Leeds' initial attempt to sign the Argentine on loan on deadline day earlier that month.
Buonanotte has scored once and provided two assists in eight appearances in all competitions for Chelsea.
He last appeared in the 5-1 FA Cup third round win over Charlton on Saturday.
Chelsea and Brighton both agreed that the switch would be beneficial to the player's ongoing development.
Leeds are expecting him in the city to complete the move on Thursday.
They are likely to offer him a more prominent role as they look to add further attacking options under manager Daniel Farke.
Middlesbrough showing interest in Sarmiento published at 12:25 GMT 15 January
12:25 GMT 15 January
Karan Vinod BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Brighton winger Jeremy Sarmiento has emerged as a candidate for Middlesbrough.
BBC Sport understands that the Championship club are among those tracking the Ecuador international - who is currently on loan with Serie A club Cremonese - with several other sides from the second tier also understood to be keeping close tabs.
The 23-year-old has struggled to make an impact in Italy, having played only seven times in Serie A this season and is yet to score, with all seven of his appearances coming off the bench.
Sarmiento spent last season in the Championship with Burnley, where he played a key role in their promotion back to the Premier League. His performances there reinforced Brighton's belief in his long-term potential, but also highlighted how effective he can be with regular first-team football.
At this stage, it is unclear whether any potential move would be a loan or a permanent deal, with Sarmiento under contract at Brighton until June 2027 and discussions ongoing between clubs.
'Greer would constantly be on you' - Bridcuttpublished at 08:21 GMT 15 January
08:21 GMT 15 January
Image source, Getty Images
Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited, former Brighton midfielder Liam Bridcutt recalls players of influence when he joined the Seagulls in 2010.
"The big one was Gordon Greer. Even to this day he was my favourite captain I've ever had. Probably one of my favourite players to have behind me. He never let you rest. He knew the better I did, the easier his game was. He would constantly be on you.
"He was very intelligent. He was very good technically - not the quickest but you'd never see him get run. That was from his leadership skills in terms of organising people around him to be in the right place.
"When I first went in - he's quite aggressive with his tone - we clashed quite a bit. By the end of it, I still speak to him now. We both had a great understanding of one another and expected high standards from ourselves and everyone around us.
"He was the right person at the right time in my career in that I needed him and he wasn't going to let me rest in terms of barking orders at me."
'Gutted' - Aspinall on FA Cup drawpublished at 11:16 GMT 14 January
11:16 GMT 14 January
Image source, Getty Images
Former Brighton forward Warren Aspinall reacts to drawing Liverpool in the FA Cup on the latest episode of BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited: "I was absolutely gutted.
"I know you have to beat the best to get to the final and win the FA Cup but to play Manchester United on their own patch is one thing, and then to go to another massive club, means that if we do win the FA Cup or get to the final we're doing it the hard way, that's for sure."
Aspinall looked at Liverpool's fixture list and outlined the fact the Reds are not yet in the top eight of the Champions League standings. Were they to not reach those spots after the final two fixtures, they would face a two-legged play-off, with the first tie arriving three or four days after the FA Cup game against Brighton.
Liverpool's next Champions League group game - which will be key in their pursuit of the top eight - is against Marseille, managed by former Albion boss Roberto de Zerbi.
"There's a chance they will have to play a Champions League qualifying game after they play us. So they may go weaker," said Aspinall.
"They have to be top eight in Champions League to avoid a qualifier. We need De Zerbi to do us a favour for Marseille."
🎧 Up for the Cup!published at 18:43 GMT 13 January
18:43 GMT 13 January
A new episode of Albion Unlimited from BBC Radio Sussex is available now on BBC Sounds.
There is a look back to Sunday's FA Cup win at Manchester United and a look ahead to Monday's Premier League game against Bournemouth, plus former Brighton midfielder Liam Bridcutt reflects on his career with the Seagulls.
Listen to every Brighton game live on BBC Radio Sussex, with all the build-up and full commentary with Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall, and there is a full preview of all Seagulls' matches on Fridays at 18:00 in The Weekend Warm-up
'Old Trafford ticket price made FA Cup win even sweeter'published at 11:36 GMT 13 January
11:36 GMT 13 January
Scott McCarthy Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
It was a truly historic occasion on Sunday as Brighton won a first FA Cup tie against 13-time winners and the Albion's conquerors in the 1983 final and 2023 semi final, Manchester United.
But sadly, only 800 Seagulls supporters were inside Old Trafford to witness it.
The main reason for this is simple. While a 16:30 Sunday kick-off made train travel back to Sussex impossible, plenty of Brighton fans would have sucked up the inconsiderate scheduling by broadcasters under normal Premier League circumstances.
However, these were not normal Premier League circumstances. The straw which broke the camel's back for many of the most loyal Albion away followers was the ticket price.
Free of the £30 league cap, away admission was whacked up to £55.
At first, it felt like an exploitation of Brighton fan loyalty. If I was to be more cynical, I'd suggest it might have been done in the hope Brighton took as few of the 9,000 allocation they were entitled to, leaving United more seats to sell to fans at potentially even higher prices. Magic of the FA Cup, right?
Of course, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the United hierarchy need to find the money somewhere for costs such as paying off Ruben Amorim just 14 months after appointing him as head coach. Maybe fans are helping cover expensive blunders at boardroom level.
All of this made the famous Brighton victory that unfolded even sweeter - especially knowing the Albion have stopped United from charging any other away fans £55 to visit Old Trafford in the FA Cup this season. Sorry, Sir Jim.
'Decades shaping elite cultures' - Brighton appoint Anthonypublished at 10:58 GMT 12 January
10:58 GMT 12 January
Image source, Getty Images
Brighton have announced Mike Anthony will join the club next month as head of player development and high performance.
Anthony has a background consisting of more than 25 years of experience working across elite-level sport, including a 14‑year spell with the New Zealand Rugby.
Sporting director Jason Ayto said: "We're delighted to welcome Mike to Brighton & Hove Albion. His track record within one of world sport's most successful high‑performance systems speaks for itself.
"Mike has an exceptional ability to build environments where players, coaches and teams can thrive, and his expertise will strengthen every part of our performance structure. We're excited for him to get started."
Technical director Mike Cave said: "Mike's experience in developing players and high‑performing teams at the very top level is rare. He has spent decades shaping elite cultures and helping athletes maximise their potential.
"His arrival is another important step in our strategy to build sustainable success across the club. We're very pleased to have him on board."
Man Utd 1-2 Brighton - the fans' verdictpublished at 09:07 GMT 12 January
09:07 GMT 12 January
Media caption,
We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's FA Cup game between Manchester United and Brighton.
Here are some of your comments:
Man Utd fans
Mac: Still slow play with several players not giving their all. No one to score goals. How can you spend so much money and have a team who are nearly always second to the ball, and have little option on the bench? Mismanagement, buying the wrong players, I could go on...
David: Unfortunately this is typical. United start well, don't score, then concede too easily. We play some nice stuff but are not working the keeper enough. Then we are so sloppy in defending. Slow in thought and deed, story of the season so far.
John: Too many average players. Their defence plays like football is a non-contact sport. No challenges, no one physically imposing themselves on the opponent. Until that changes they are going nowhere.
Lee: Shea Lacey - you haven't let anyone down, your teammates let you down. Your future is bright. You are the future of the club! Hold your head! We are with you.
Brighton fans
Fran: Very enjoyable game with both teams having chances. United started better than us but we grew into the game. Could have gone either way but overall I thought we just about deserved the win. I just wish we would take more chances around the opponents' goal area as we just seem to want to walk the ball in! Take responsibility and have a go even if you miss. Sometimes you get a lucky break and the ball flies in off the defenders. Other than that a great result.
Tim: Brilliant and fluid football from Albion from the start, reducing United to a few easily snuffed-out efforts. Fought harder, more precise passing, better movement, defended fabulously; in short, better in every department. UTA!
Phil: Not much mention of the fact that there were six changes today from the Brighton team that drew with Man City. Great performance from what was effectively, no disrespect intended, the Brighton B team. Awesome display lads and well deserved win!
Paul: Professional performance by Brighton. This shows the depth of the current squad. None of the selected 11 looked out of their depth. Steele proved again what a great squad keeper he is.
Man Utd 1-2 Brighton - What Hurzeler and Gruda saidpublished at 19:14 GMT 11 January
19:14 GMT 11 January
Image source, Getty Images
Brighton manager Fabin Hurzeler speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Very proud because I think we had a tough start. We made a lot of changes so they needed a bit of time to get used to each other. But then we started playing football after five or ten minutes, that helped us a lot.
"We controlled the game better, we created chances, we scored a nice goal. I think we had a big chance to score a second goal. They were dangerous, and we weren't defending our best in the first half. In the second half we did it better.
"Overall, I was pleased with the performance.
"I'm very happy for the fans because they always give us great support. They have [had] to travel twice to Manchester and it's not the closest place for us. So I'm really happy for them. They spend a lot of money and time for us. Hopefully they have a nice Sunday."
Brighton attacker Brajan Gruda speaking to TNT Sports: "I'm very happy. Especially for me, it's the first time [at Old Trafford].
"We had a good day and I really enjoyed being on the pitch. I can see the fans are enjoying themselves, as well. I'm very proud of the fans and of the team.
"The belief is always there. Everyone believes in each other and I believe in myself and everyone else. We can achieve a lot."
Did you know?
Brajan Gruda's opener made him the first Brighton player to score in the FA Cup against Manchester United since Gary Stevens in the 1983 final, with the Seagulls going goalless in their previous four meetings with the Red Devils in this competition before this match.
Brighton analysis: Seagulls finally end Man Utd cup cursepublished at 19:00 GMT 11 January
19:00 GMT 11 January
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Brighton fans will feel they owed Manchester United one when it came to the FA Cup.
They might have won on their last three trips to Old Trafford prior to this season, but in this competition, they had nothing but painful memories.
The biggest was that 1983 'Smith must score' FA Cup final, when Seagulls striker Gordon Smith's shot in the last minute at Wembley was saved by Gary Bailey, thus denying them victory, with defeat following in the replay.
Three seasons ago, the two sides met at Wembley again. Most observers felt Brighton were clearly the better side in the semi-final, but it was United who prevailed, on penalties.
This time Fabian Hurzeler's side got the win they deserved.
Aside from the opening couple of minutes, when goalkeeper Jason Steele denied Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes, Brighton looked the more dangerous.
The 12th-minute opener came after Georginio Rutter's shot from Danny Welbeck's cross was booted off the line by Patrick Dorgu and Brajan Gruda pounced on the rebound.
Welbeck claimed the crucial second goal as, while Benjamin Sesko's late header lifted the home fans, Brighton's players kept calm to confirm a third-round exit for United for only the third time in 41 FA Cup ties.
