Buoyed by a rampant FA Cup performance last weekend, Brighton return to Premier League action on Thursday to take on newcomers Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side ran riot against second-tier Norwich City at Carrow Road, strolling to a landslide 4-0 victory to ease tensions after several consecutive draws in the Premier League.
Supporters watching the action online can use ExpressVPN to ensure a secure and uninterrupted streaming experience.
Georginio Rutter soaked up the limelight as Brighton’s standout performer in a clear-cut FA Cup win, bagging a first-half brace before Julio Enciso and Solly March joined the party after the break.
Hurzeler’s next task is to transfer the Seagulls’ cup momentum to the Premier League, where they sit in mid-table, albeit only six points adrift of sixth-placed Manchester City.
Underwhelming patch
It’s been a while since Brighton last tasted victory in league action. Indeed, we’ve not won a top-flight game since a 2-1 triumph at Bournemouth in late November.
Six of the Seagulls’ subsequent eight league outings have ended all square, except for a pair of 3-1 losses to Crystal Palace and Fulham in early December.
However, scoring draws with Aston Villa and Arsenal in the build-up to this trip can inspire confidence around Hurzeler’s camp, especially considering Brighton came from behind to take a point both times.
Unfortunately, some fans have grown frustrated with a high volume of draws, as most recently witnessed by boos at the final whistle of a scoreless home stalemate against Brentford during the festive period.
Must-win fixture
At the risk of becoming the first Premier League side to draw five consecutive league games since Fulham in 2020/21, Brighton head to East Anglia determined to halt Ipswich’s rich vein of form.
Despite carrying a pre-match favourite tag into this clash, Hurzeler’s side cannot afford to underestimate the task at hand, given their substandard record against ‘lesser’ teams.
The Seagulls have ominously drawn all four league matches against the pre-round bottom four this season, dropping points from winning positions on three occasions.
Let’s hope we can defy that dismal record on Thursday.
With Brighton claiming a half-time lead in a joint-league high five Premier League away games, we can realistically hope to enter the break on the front foot.
Only this time, we must get the job done.
In-form rival
Kieran McKenna’s charges have hit the ground running since the tail-end of 2024.
Starting with a 2-0 home win against Chelsea on December 30th, Ipswich have gone unbeaten in three consecutive domestic games, including a goal-glutted 2-2 draw at Fulham in their first league match of 2025.
The Tractor Boys maintained their resurgence with a comfortable 3-0 FA Cup win against Bristol City last weekend, setting themselves up perfectly for this clash.
Moreover, after winning just one of their first 15 league games this season, they’ve emerged victorious from two of their last five top-flight contests.
Talismanic ace out
Ipswich’s renaissance isn’t the least of Hurzeler’s problems.
Star forward Joao Pedro, who sustained an ankle injury against Arsenal, will likely remain on the sidelines.
As The Athletic takes stock of Hurzeler’s options in attack, we hope Danny Welbeck can be our saviour at Portman Road.
The 34-year-old has outscored his Brazilian teammate this season and remains Brighton’s top scorer despite constantly dealing with recurring fitness setbacks since late November.
Welbeck has only played for 20 minutes in our last seven matches, but this could be his moment to shine again.
Prediction
Despite Ipswich’s mini-revival, they still hold the Premier League’s joint-second-worst home record this term.
Even without Joao Pedro, Brighton should have enough firepower to outgun the Tractor Boys and take a long-awaited victory.
However, we wouldn’t be surprised if a single goal separated the teams at full-time.
