Match Preview: Brighton start FA Cup adventure in Norwich

January 11, 2025January 11, 2025 Andrew James 0 Comments

It is the return of the FA Cup, the oldest club competition in the world. So far 44 different teams have lifted the conveted trophy in its 152 year history. If Brighton are to be the 45th, they will first have to overcome Norwich City in round three.

The Canaries are a side that have yo-yoed between the Premier League and the Championship a number of times over the last decace. Their most recent season in the the top flight came two years ago, during the 2021-22 campaign.

A trip to Carrow Road presents a fantastic opportunity for the Albion to get back to winning ways. Brighton have not tasted victory now for eight games now but have a chance to go far in the FA Cup if they take it seriously.

Brighton rescued a point last time out

The Seagulls were last in action seven days ago on home soil, opening 2025 with a visit from Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. It was a brave performance from Brighton to come back and draw 1-1 after conceding an early goal from 17-year-old wonder kid Ethan Nwaneri.

Some may argue the Albion should have won. They were mere inches away from making it 2-1 midway through the second half.

Yankubu Minteh made a lung busting run down the right wing, crossing the ball into the six yard box. It flashed across the face of goals and was narrowly missed by Yasin Ayai waiting in the middle and Kaoru Mitoma at the far post. Just a tap in was needed from either.

In the end though, a point was probably a fair result considering the lack of chances created between the two sides. Drawing against Arsenal, with their talent, world class players and top manager in Arteta is always a good point gained in my book.

Even if the Gunners were not at their brilliant best on this occasion with the likes of Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz missing.

Norwich snatch all three points at the death

Norwich were also in league action last Saturday, taking on Frank Lampard’s Coventry City. The Canaries very much controlled things, holding all the possession and creating plenty of chances throughout.

But they found themselves falling behind midway through the first half. Right back Milan Van Ewijk put the visitors in front in the 24th minute.

Norwich simply could not break down the Coventry defence, whose shot stopper Oliver Dobin had a great game between the sticks.

However, it all changed in injury time. The Canaries nabbed themselves a much deserved equaliser in the 91st minute, which looked like securing an important point for Johannes Hoff-Throup’s men.

Then in the dying embers of the match, Norwich snatched all three points. Midfielder Amankwah Forson – who bagged the leveller -was the man to also net the winner for the home side.

It left the travelling Coventry fans who made the long 240 mile round trip to Norfolk heartbroken and Lampard seething with anger.

Brighton supporters should have some sympathy with their Sky Blue counterparts; conceding two goals in a five minute period right at the death sounds painfully familiar!

The win saw Norwich move to 11th in the Championship standings, only four points outside those all important playoff spots in a division which is notoriously tight.

Norwich City v Brighton head-to-head

Brighton and Norwich have locked horns a grand total of 92 times. The Canaries narrowly come out on of the head-to-head with 34 wins compared to 32 for Brighton, leaving 26 meetings which have been drawn.

The sides last faced off in the 2021-22 Premier League season, when both encounters ended in boring 0-0 draws. Let us hope it is a bit more exciting this time!

In FA Cup terms, Norwich have been one of the Albion’s most frequent opponents with 11 games so far in the competition. Brighton have won five, Norwich four and two finished level.

The most recent FA Cup meeting came in the third round back in the 2002-23 season. Floodlight failure meant the original game at Carrow Road was postponed before it kicked off, requiring Brighton to return to Norfolk 10 days later. Norwich ran out comfortable 3-1 winners. The Albion goal was scored by Robbie Pethick.

Norwich City v Brighton team news

In Brighton team news, Fabian Hurzeler is still having to contend with an extensive injury list. Seven players in total remaining unavailable to The Youngest Permanent Manager in Premier League History.

Igor is the newest addition to the medical room. The Brazilian tore his hamstring last time out against Arsenal, a horrific way to start the new year. He has since had surgery and is now on a long road to recovery, a big loss to the club.

Lewis Dunk and Ferdi Kadioglu are also members of Brighton’s backline who will be missing at Carrow Road. Club captain Dunk is still recovering from a calf injury and Turkish international Kadioglu could potentially be out for the rest of the season after toe surgery.

Strikers Danny Welbeck and Evan Fergurson will not be present. Welbeck has returned to training which is a big boost, but this game will be too soon for his return. Ferguson on the other hand has an ankle issue and no date has been set for his recovery.

Joao Pedro is a doubt after having an MRI scan on an ankle twisted in training on Wednesday and long-term absentees James Milner and Jack Hinshelwood remain out.

Milner has not kicked a ball in months and is likely to still be out for some time. To end things on a good note, Hinshelwood is also back in training and will be soon re-integrated into the squad.

Norwich boss Hoff-Thorup has a much healthier selection available to him this weekend with only a few players missing. Central midfielder Liam Gibbs will sit this one out as the 22-year-old is recovering from a hamstring injury.

Cuban winger Onel Hernandez is another plagued with a hamstring problem. His return date is still unknown. Striker Josh Sargent recently had groin surgery and is expected to miss a large portion of the season.

Finally, the top scorer in the Championship Borja Sainz has been given a six match suspension by the FA after being found guilty of spitting at an opponent. What a charming man…

Norwich City players to watch out for

Originally, I had written about Sainz in this section. His 15 goals make him Norwich’s Player of the Season so far. But then it was announced the Spaniard would be banned, and so it was back to the drawing board.

Amankwah Forson

The obvious man to watch out for instead is Amankwah Forson, the Canaries’ match winner last weekend who will come into this game full of confidence after his late brace against Coventry.

Forson is not usually a goal scorer. He had only two to his name so far this season before single-handedly beating the Sky Blues; something you would find hard to believe watching those two wonderful finishes last Saturday.

He started the Coventry game on the bench but after putting Lampard’s men to the sword, will surely have earned a start this time around.

Ante Crnac

Like Brighton, Norwich come into the game a little short on striker options. Former Seagull Ashley Barnes has returned to Burnley. With Sainz suspended and Sargent injured, the Canaries will look to Ante Crnac to lead their attack.

The 6’2 Croatian is a strong, physical presence up front. He has scored four goals so far this season, having primarily started games on the bench.

A rare place in the starting XI provides Crnac the opportunity to show what he can do. He no doubt he will be looking to grab the chance with both hands.

Final thoughts

The FA Cup third round draw has been fairly kind to Brighton and if Hurzeler names a strong side, it should be a straightforward tie to navigate (famous last words).

I can see Huruzeler opting for a good starting XI with a few youngsters thrown into the mix too. Back up goalkeeper Jason Steele has been confirmed to start between the sticks in one guaranteed change.

Many people have asked if we may see a debut for new boy Diego Gomez but his participation has been ruled out as he is not quite ready.

I am expecting to see both teams score. Even when Brighton are well on top in games, they cannot resist giving away chances on a silver platter to the opposition. The Albion just seem to like making their own life difficult.

Norwich have a leaky defence with only six out of 24 teams in the Championship having conceded more this season. The Canaries do make up for their defensive woes by having the second best attack in the division – although missing Sainz, Sargent and Hernandez is a significant blow.

As I mentioned earlier in this piece, this is the ideal opportunity for the Albion to get back to winning ways after going eight games without victory. A win at Carrow Road would give the side an injection of confidence, even if it is against lesser opposition.

The only thing that can stop Brighton from winning this game is themselves. I feel confident the Albion will get the job done and take a step closer to a potential return to Wembley.