The English Premier League continues this weekend after the international break, so take a look at our tips and predictions for the Brighton vs. Stoke City match. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and join the action at Get More Sports.
Brighton vs. Stoke City
Three-Way: 1: Brighton +150; X: +229 Draw; 2: Stoke +265 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Brighton -143; Stoke +143
Total +2: Over -118; Under +117
BRIGHTON
The Seagulls are in a good run of four matches without a defeat, and they conceded just two goals in the process, so they are currently in the high 8th position in the Premier League with 15 points, three ahead of the Potters. Brighton was predicted to fight relegation this season, but for the time being, they proved to be one of the most pleasant surprises of the campaign, and if they continue to play this way, the top half or mid-table finish is looking probable. A pair of away victories in the previous two visits are particularly pleasing for Chris Hughton and the fans, as the Seagulls beat West Ham and most recently, Swansea at Liberty Stadium, 1:0. The veteran striker Glenn Murray scored the only goal of the tilt in the 29th minute, and although the Swans tried to equalize, Brighton’s defense held its ground and recorded a clean sheet for new three points and a well-respected spot in the Premier League table. Hughton’s side is a slight favorite in the clash with Stoke, but I think they would be satisfied with a point here, as long as they avoid a defeat and keep the positive run going.
Brighton played 13 games so far in the 2017/18, recording five victories, three draws, and five losses, with a goal difference of 12:12, which is 1.85 goals per contest. It is safe to say that the Seagulls are not among the most efficient teams in the Premier League, but their defense is quite well and they allowed more than one goal in a match on only four occasions in this campaign – against Man City, Leicester, Bournemouth, and Arsenal. Brighton didn’t suffer a home defeat in the previous five matches, scoring in each of them and allowing only three goals in return. When it comes to H2H duels with the Potters, their last meeting occurred in 2011 in the FA Cup when Stoke won 3:0, while they also won seven encounters prior to that cup clash. Brighton’s previous win over Stoke was in the League One back in 2001/02 season, and the hosts should be aware of the recent history with the Potters and not take them for granted on this one.
The 34-year-old Glenn Murray is currently the team’s top scorer with four goals in nine appearances, while Tomer Hemed and Pascal Gross are following him with a couple of foals to their respective names. The German midfielder Gross is the most creative individual with five assists at the moment, and the former Ingolstadt player emerged as a true leader at AMEX Stadium in this campaign. Marking him tightly will surely help the Potters to tame the hosts, but it’s not going to be easy as Gross has excellent skills and almost all Brighton’s attacking plays are going through him. Chris Hughton is delighted to have nearly all of the players healthy, and at his disposal, as only the veteran midfielder Steve Sidwell is out with a back injury. The Dutch midfielder Davy Propper is struggling with a thigh, but the former PSV man should be ready to feature on this one.
STOKE CITY
The Potters are in a solid run of two matches in a row without suffering a defeat, and it seems that the team recovered well following a disastrous 2:7 loss to Manchester City a month ago. Stoke first beat Watford at Vicarage Road thanks to Darren Fletcher’s first-half goal, and then they drew at bet365 Stadium with Leicester City. Vicente Iborra scored a leading goal for the Foxes, but Xherdan Shaqiri responded only a few minutes later with an equalizer before Riyad Mahrez put the visitors at the top in the 60th minute. The golden substitute, Peter Crouch, scored only four minutes after being introduced and salvage a point for the Potters as the match ended 2:2. The point sent Stoke to the 14th position in the Premier League with 12 points, but a potential defeat here could even send him to the relegation zone, so coming home without points from this tilt is not an option for Mark Hughes’ side. The Seagulls are the slight favorites on this one, but Stoke is an experienced squad with plenty of quality layers, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they pull a little upset and collect three points on Monday.
Stoke City played 13 games so far in this campaign, recording four victories, three draws, and six losses, with a goal difference of 14:23, which is 2.85 goals per contest on average. The Potters were awful away from home, but then they got the first win at Swansea, so they will surely be motivated to repeat the similar performance here. The tradition is entirely on their side as they didn’t lose to Brighton since 2001, but they haven’t met recently, so they must not rely on the past glory. Stoke scored just five goals in five visits in the Premier League and considering Brighton’s robust defense of late; it will not be easy for the visitors to find the net behind Matt Ryan’s back here. The hosts are not great when they need to attack and chase the score, so if the Potters manage to take an early lead, it might frustrate the hosts, and they could struggle as a result.
The Veteran striker Peter Crouch is the team’s leading scorer with four goals in nine appearances, but he mostly comes off the bench, which makes this achievement even more significant for the 36-year-old journeyman. The former Liverpool and England forward turned out to be a savior on a few occasions for the Potters, and I think Hughes should consider starting him in this encounter as Crouchy surely deserved it. Mame Diouf with three, and Eric Choupo-Moting, Joe Allen, and Xherdan Shaqiri with a couple of goals to their respective names are following Crouch in a goal-scoring chart, while Shaqiri is the best assist-maker with four dishes so far. The Swiss international helped his national side to qualify for the World Cup in Russia as Switzerland beat the Northern Ireland in two playoff games to reach the WC. He is the most influential player at Stoke this season, but Hughes should be concerned with Saido Berahino’s form, as the former West Brom striker recorded miserable one assists in this campaign and he failed to score a single goal yet. The gaffer still cannot count on the midfielder Stephen Ireland who is recovering from a broken leg, while the American international Geoff Cameron could be back into the lineup after spending time on the sidelines with a concussion.
Brighton vs. Stoke City – Match Prediction
Brighton is playing very good at the moment, and they are particularly organized at the back, but I believe Stoke City could score a goal on Monday, so I am going with both teams to score on this one.
MY PICK: Both teams to score YES (+110)
