Brighton & Hove Albion are on a mission. Heading to St. James' Park this Saturday, the Seagulls have their sights set on cementing sixth place and keeping their European dreams alive—all while taking on a struggling Newcastle United side.
Fabian Hurzeler's squad arrives as the Premier League's hottest team. With six wins in their last eight matches, they're sitting pretty in sixth, just eight points behind the top five. A win on Tyneside would not only tighten their grip on a European spot but also extend their impressive away form—ten points from their last four road games.
What's driving this late-season surge? Tactical discipline and a relentless attack. Brighton have scored at least twice in each of their last four league outings, with Yankuba Minteh leading the charge. The winger has attempted more take-ons than any other player in the league, keeping defenders on their heels. And history could be on their side: the Seagulls are chasing just their second-ever league double over Newcastle, a feat they first pulled off in the 2020-21 campaign.
Injury-wise, Hurzeler is navigating a few bumps. Adam Webster, Stefanos Tzimas, and Diego Gomez are all sidelined with knee issues, while James Milner will miss his reunion with his former club. But there's good news: Mats Wieffer is expected to keep his spot in midfield after being cleared of injury following an early substitution against Chelsea.
Up front, Danny Welbeck is having the season of his life. With 13 goals, he's enjoying his best-ever scoring campaign. To put that in perspective, only six players aged 34 or older have scored more in a single Premier League season. While Solly March is nearing a return from a muscle problem, he won't start just yet. Instead, Kaoru Mitoma and Jack Hinshelwood will join Welbeck in attack, aiming for a fourth away clean sheet in five matches.
Brighton predicted XI: Verbruggen; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu; Baleba, Gross; Minteh, Hinshelwood, Mitoma; Welbeck
The action kicks off at 15:00 BST on Saturday, 2 May 2026. UK viewers won't catch it live on TV due to the Saturday afternoon blackout, but BBC Radio 5 Live has you covered with live audio commentary.