Sports Mole previews Saturday’s FA Cup clash between Stoke City and Brighton & Hove Albion, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Brighton & Hove Albion travel to the bet365 Stadium to face Stoke City in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon.
The Potters will be seeking revenge after they suffered a slender 1-0 defeat at home to the Seagulls in the fifth round last season.
Match preview
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Steven Schumacher has made an unbeaten start to life as Stoke manager as his new side have won one and drawn three of their last four matches, including a goalless stalemate with 10 men against promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town on New Year’s Day.
Jordan Thompson was given an “unnecessary” red card in the view of Schumacher for dissent midway through the second half, but the Potters held their own a man down against the Tractor Boys to pick up a valuable point in their quest to steer themselves clear of the relegation zone.
Stoke remain 19th in the Championship table and sit seven points clear of the bottom three, but before they prepare for two favourable-looking league fixtures against struggling duo Rotherham United and Birmingham City, the Potters must turn their attention to the FA Cup where they will attempt to progress from the third round for the third successive season.
Schumacher will be keen to address his side’s home form as they have only won two of their last 11 matches at the bet365 Stadium, drawing a blank in front of goal on seven of those occasions.
The prospect of success on Saturday seems slim, though, as Stoke have lost their last eight FA Cup games against Premier League opposition, while they have also failed to win any of their previous three meetings with Brighton.
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After ending 2023 on an impressive high with a 4-2 home victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, Brighton were forced to settle for just a point in a goalless draw with West Ham United on Tuesday.
Although the Seagulls were thwarted on numerous occasions by a defiant Alphonse Areola between the sticks, they managed to keep their first clean sheet in the league this season at the 20th time of asking.
Roberto De Zerbi‘s side have failed to score in two of their last four matches, having drawn a blank in just one of their previous 44 games prior to this. Nevertheless, a point claimed at the London Stadium has helped them climb to seventh in the Premier League table, and they remain just three points behind West Ham in sixth.
After crashing out in the EFL Cup third round to Chelsea earlier this season, Brighton will be keen to avoid another early cup exit this weekend, and their recent record in the FA Cup bodes well ahead of Saturday’s fixture as they have only lost one of their last seven ties at this stage of the competition.
The Seagulls, who reached the FA Cup semi-finals last season, have largely struggled when visiting Stoke, though, as they have won just one, drawn eight and lost nine of their last 18 matches at the bet365 Stadium, although that solitary win was the aforementioned 1-0 success in the FA Cup fifth round in February last year.
Stoke City form (all competitions):
Brighton & Hove Albion form (all competitions):
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Team News
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Stoke will be without the suspended Thompson, injured duo Josh Laurent (ankle) and Enda Stevens (leg), while Lynden Gooch (calf) and Tyrese Campbell (knock) are both doubtful and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Teenage goalkeeper Tommy Simkin is cup tied after representing Solihull Moors on loan earlier this season, while Junior Tchamadeu is unavailable as he is set to represent Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Potters are light in the full-back department, so Gooch will likely operate at left-back, pending a late fitness test, with Ki-Jana Hoever potentially switching over to the right side of a back four, while Daniel Johnson could deputise in midfield in the absence of Thompson.
As for Brighton, Kaoru Mitoma has been called up to the Japan squad for the Asian Cup despite nursing an ankle injury, while Solly March, Julio Enciso, Joel Veltman (all knee), Ansu Fati, Simon Adingra, Tariq Lamptey (all thigh) and Igor Julio (knock) all remain in the treatment room.
However, captain Lewis Dunk is available to return from suspension and could partner either Adam Webster or Jan Paul van Hecke at centre-back, as Jack Hinshelwood and Pervis Estupinan most likely keep their spots at full-back.
Evan Ferguson, who scored the only goal in the win at Stoke last year, will be hoping to force his way into the first XI along with the likes of Jakub Moder, Carlos Baleba, Mahmoud Dahoud and Adam Lallana.
Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Bonham; Hoever, McNally, Rose, Gooch; Baker, Johnson, Burger; Vidigal, Mmaee, Bae
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Hinshelwood, Van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan; Baleba, Dahoud; Buonanotte, Lallana, Milner; Ferguson
We say: Stoke City 0-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
A closely-fought contest was played out between these two teams last year, and another tight affair could be in store, although Brighton will be regarded as the favourites to progress to the fourth round.
Neither side will be at full strength on Saturday, but the Seagulls boast a deeper squad and the players selected by De Zerbi should ultimately have the quality to get the job done against Championship opposition.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
