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Two unbeaten sides go head-to-head in the first of two matches on Sunday afternoon. Fabian Hürzeler is attempting to guide Brighton & Hove Albion to five games without defeat to start the season - something they have never achieved in the top flight.
Having picked up more points than expected from their first three fixtures, there was frustration at the Amex Stadium last weekend as Ipswich Town held Brighton to a goalless draw.
Still, that doesn’t take the shine off what has been a terrific start for Hürzeler, who was relieved that his side managed to see off Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
A solid defence has laid the foundations for the Seagulls’ positive beginning to the campaign. Only Arsenal and Liverpool have conceded fewer goals than Brighton, who have gone with the same back four in each of their league games.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s gameplan worked to perfection against Liverpool on Saturday. After weathering the early storm, Forest grew more into the match as it went on and got their reward through substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Eight points from four outings is a tremendous return for the side that finished 17th last term and were one of the pre-season favourites for the drop in 2024-25.
They have won both of their away matches 1-0 and will fancy their chances at the Amex after a week’s rest while Albion contested a cup game in midweek.
Hudson-Odoi could start after his winner at Anfield, and Anthony Elanga may also return to the XI.
Nottingham Forest have failed to score in their last four visits to Brighton dating back to the opening weekend of the 2015-16 Championship season.
Seagulls captain Lewis Dunk took part that evening and has started in every encounter between the sides since. The England defender was sent off in Brighton’s 3-2 victory at the City Ground last November. He also played - and scored - the last time Forest beat Albion in February 2015.
The teams’ last meeting was at the Amex six months ago. An own goal by Andrew Omobamidele was all that separated them as Brighton completed the double over the East Midlands outfit.
Goals have not been a feature of Forest’s fixtures, and this is not a matchup that has produced many at the Amex in recent years.
Brighton should have plenty of efforts at goal, though, and it will be another big test for the Forest backline that stood firm on Merseyside a week ago.
Morgan Gibbs-White has provided a superb attacking spark for Forest this term - so much so that nobody has created more chances from open play in the Premier League. The best bet for this fixture is for the newly capped England international to have a shot, commit a foul, and be fouled.
Forest will almost certainly allow the hosts to have the lion’s share of possession on Sunday and look to hit them on the counter. Gibbs-White has been operating as a classic number 10, tasked with generating opportunities while also dropping in to help out defensively.
That has resulted in the 24-year-old being involved in several duels, and he has won and conceded free-kicks with regularity this season.
He was only penalised once at Anfield, but in his three prior appearances, he made 2, 3, and 3 fouls. Gibbs-White’s fouls won figures so far are 2, 1, 2, 1. The last time he wasn’t upended in a Forest match was on April 2nd, a dozen games ago.
The former Wolves player has been equally consistent in the shooting department. He has had at least one attempt in every club outing in 2024. Adding that into our bet builder gets us close to an even money shout.
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