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Brighton’s top-flight quality expected to shine through against Blackpool

Brighton vs Blackpool - 23/01/2021

21/01/21
Brighton’s top-flight quality expected to shine through against Blackpool
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Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion welcome League One outfit Blackpool to the Amex Stadium in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

The Seagulls currently find themselves sixteenth in the top-flight table – five points clear of the relegation zone.

Meanwhile, Blackpool also sit sixteenth in the third-tier standings – eight points ahead of the bottom three and seven points shy of the playoff places.

Brighton needed penalties to overcome Newport County in the previous round, despite seeing 72% possession and racking up 20 shots (seven on target).

Newport equalised deep into stoppage time, cancelling out Solly March’s goal. But the Seagulls eventually advanced 4-3 on penalties.

Graham Potter’s men have also been struggling in the Premier League. They have only managed to win three of their 19 top-flight games, with eight draws and eight losses coming along the way.

However, Brighton ended a nine-game winless run by beating Leeds 1-0 last weekend, with Neal Maupay scoring the only goal of the game.

On the flip side, Blackpool head into Saturday’s clash on a four-match winless run in League One, recording two draws and two defeats in recent weeks.

A run of six wins in eight games between October and December saw Blackpool climb up the table, but they have since found themselves falling back down the standings.

Interestingly, Blackpool have already seen off Premier League opposition. They drew 2-2 with West Brom in the previous round, before securing a 3-2 penalty shootout win.

Blackpool secured a 3-0 victory over Eastbourne Borough in the first round, before thrashing Harrogate Town 4-0 in round two.

Head-to-head: These two sides last faced each other during the 2014/15 Championship season, with Blackpool taking four points from a possible six in this fixture.

However, Brighton have only lost one of their previous five matches against Blackpool, claiming two wins and two draws in that time.

Team news: Brighton could be without as many as nine first-team players on Saturday, with Danny Welbeck and Tariq Lamptey among the notable absentees.

Meanwhile, Blackpool have no fresh injury concerns. It is worth noting that Gary Madine has netted three goals in three FA Cup games this term.

Blackpool are expected to put up a decent fight on Saturday, but Brighton’s Premier League quality is bound to shine through.

Forebet predicts that Brighton will seal a narrow victory over Blackpool, with the home side also likely to keep a clean sheet.

Home team
Away team
Probability %
1X2
Pred
Correct score
Avg. goals
Weather conditions
Coef.
Score
Live
coef.
FA
373528
1
1 - 0
2.11
1.39
1.39 4.80 11.00 -1 1 1
FT
2 - 1(1 - 1)
-
- - -

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