Cardiff City vs Brighton & Hove Albion
Date: 10/11/2018
K/O: 12:30
Venue: Cardiff City Stadium
TV: Sky Sports Premier League
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Warnock’s Cardiff City side will be looking towards their fixture on Saturday as a means of redemption following their narrow loss last weekend against a resolute Leicester City. As for the visitors, they will be hoping to bounce back from a 3-1 defeat road defeat to Everton last time out.
Brighton are notoriously hard to beat when playing at the Amex; however, the story when playing away from home is quite different. In their last 19 away games, Brighton have only won once and displayed an odd loss of form whenever venturing too far from the south coast.
Their recent dismantling at Goodison Park is a prime example. Uncharacteristic errors from Brighton’s back line crushed any hopes of Hughton’s men returning home with a positive result. A team well-known for their defensive prowess tends to fall apart whenever it is not comforted by the familiar atmosphere at the Amex.
Cardiff will look to capitalize on the Seagull’s defensive frailties away from home this Saturday, and a win here could see them escape the relegation zone if all but for a brief moment. The Bluebirds have only won once since their return to the Premier League, but despite their abysmal form, they could pose a threat to a Brighton side that has struggled on the road.
Admittedly, Cardiff’s brand of football is not as easy on the eye as that of Manchester City or Liverpool, but the Bluebird’s direct style of play could prove useful on Saturday. Indeed, it’s clear Warnock has thoroughly drilled his team on set pieces, and that strength could prove all too much for a Brighton side that has struggled with defending set pieces as of late.
Undoubtedly, Brighton have noticed recent failures and will be looking to mend some of their errors from set pieces. If they manage to pinpoint their shortcomings, they could slot two or three goals past Cardiff—as most teams have this season. Sitting 12th in the table, Hughton will be working meticulously to make sure their comfortable position isn’t compromised by any more defensive errors.
Cardiff don’t have the luxuries afforded to Brighton, and despite their improvements, they continue to be stupendously inconsistent. A win here could do more than add three points; it could prove to be a tremendous boost for morale in a team that has struggled weekend after weekend.
Team News
Brighton
Pascal Groß, Pröpper, and Jahanbakhsh are unlikely to feature this weekend and despite Brighton’s midfield fairing well without Pröpper; the loss of Jahanbakhsh, who was beginning to find his place in Hughton’s side, is unfortunate.
Jose Izquierdo has just recently rejoined the Seagull’s starting XI, and his return has injected some needed liveliness into Brighton’s left flank. Last season, Izquierdo scored crucial goals that were just as valuable as they were beautiful. At the beginning of this season, the Colombian was held back by injury but has begun looking like his former self in recent games. It seems that he will need to time to fully reincorporate himself, yet when he does readjust, Brighton will have one of their best assets back in attack.
Cardiff
Zohore is out of the team this weekend while Harry Arter will serve a one-match ban after picking up his fifth booking of the season — an unfortunate predicament for Warnock who has relied on the latter regularly this season.
Recently, Warnock was quoted saying Sol Bamba is a better defender than Virgil Van Dijk. Certainly a bold claim — one that surely unsettled many Liverpool fans, and although some may laugh at the Englishman comparing Bamba to the most expensive defender in footballing history, Bamba’s value to Cardiff City is priceless. A threat from set pieces and an asset in the Bluebird’s backline, Bamba has proved his worth this season. He’s no Virgil Van Dijk, but Cardiff and Warnock are fine with that.
Predicted Starting XI’s:
Brighton (4-4-1-1): Matt Ryan; Bruno, Duffy, Dunk, Bong; Knockaert, Stephens, Kayal, Izquierdo; Solly March; Locadia
Cardiff (4-4-1-1): Etheridge; Ecuele Manga, Morrison, Sol Bamba, Bennett; Camarasa, Gunnarson, Ralls, Josh Murphy; Reid; Paterson
Score Prediction: Cardiff City 0 Brighton & Hove Albion 1
Both teams come into this match following defeats, and with both sides having similar styles of play the fixture will likely boil down to ambition, determination, and individual skill of which I think Brighton possess more.
Cardiff will prove a threat from set pieces and will look to punish a confidence stricken Brighton, who conceded three last time out. Matt Ryan will be key in this match for Brighton and if he finds himself in form, he could be crucial to a Brighton win.
Glenn Murray will undoubtedly cause the Cardiff defense troubles and it would be no surprise to see him score the winner this weekend.
