Fixtures: Brighton kick off 2022-23 season away at Manchester United

The 2022-23 Premier League fixtures are out and Brighton have a realistic chance of topping the table after the opening weekend as they kick off the season with an easy trip to Manchester United.

Graham Potter’s side hammered the Red Devils 4-0 at the Amex in their previous meeting back in May. So good were the Albion that day that United boss Ralf Rangnick was moved to bring on England defender Harry Maguire when United trailed by four after an hour in an attempt to prevent the damage getting any worse.

United have since replaced Rangnick (did you know he once played in the County League for Southwick?) with Erik ten Hag.

He will be the sixth boss since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson to try and arrest the decline at Old Trafford, which has been an utter joy to watch for all of us who grew up surrounded by glory hunting United fans at school in Sussex during the 1990s.

Rather helpfully, Sky Sports have already confirmed that ten Hag’s first game in charge will be broadcast live. That means Brighton head to Manchester on Sunday 7th August with a 2pm kick off.

The remaining 37 games of the season are of course open to being butchered by the television companies. Brighton’s first home fixture will see the Saudi Sportswashers come to the Amex on Saturday 13th.

Hopefully, Newcastle United’s owners will not sentence anymore teenagers to death between now and their visit to Sussex.

Abdullah al-Howaiti is to be executed for crimes he allegedly committed as a child, despite having an alibi and his so-called confession being extracted whilst under tortute.

You keep waving those Saudi flags Toon fans; the rest of us will not forget that you are owned by a blood-thirsty dictatorship desperate to make everyone forget about their crimes through sporting success.

Two trips to London round off August. Brighton will look to make it 11 Premier League games undefeated at West Ham on Saturday 20th before a midweek trip to newly promoted Fulham on Tuesday 30th.

Sandwiched between those two is the visit of The Leeds United, giving Albion fans the great honour of seeing the 1996 Coca Cola Cup runners up in the flesh.

Leicester at home and Plucky Little Bournemouth away follow in September, a month rounded off by Crystal Palace at the Amex on the weekend of the 17th.

After the carnage of last season’s Friday night, it will be interesting to see if Sussex Police put their foot down with a firm hand and insist on the game taking place at a time less conducive to an eight hour drinking session before kick off.

October will be one of the busiest months for Brighton in 2022-23 with six fixtures crammed in. It also looks to be one of the toughest – Liverpool away, Spurs home, Brentford away, Nottingham Forest at the Amex in midweek, Manchester City away and Chelsea at home.

Knowing the Albion, we can expect 12 points from Liverpool, Spurs, City and Chelsea and nothing from Brentford and Forest.

Wolves away and Aston Villa at home are November’s two games before the controversial winter World Cup takes place in Qatar.

The Premier League returns with Southampton away on Boxing Day and Arsenal home on New Year’s Eve. Looking forward to one or both of those games being moved to an 8pm kick off.

A trip to Goodison Park kicks off 2023, just as it did in 2022 when Alexis Mac Allister scored twice to give Brighton an historic first ever win at Everton. Liverpool at home and Leicester come next.

February will see Brighton face Bournemouth at the Amex before travelling to Selhurst Park. Fulham at home and Newcastle United away follow, when Brighton fans can enjoy climbing a million steps to the away end after watching a public beheading outside St James’ Park as pre-game entertainment.

West Ham at home, The Leeds United away and Man United at the Amex complete March. Six fixtures will be played in April as Brighton embark on a busy end to the 2022-23 season.

The trip to Forest being midweek will disappoint and delight in equal measure. On the one hand, it is a travesty that a fantastic away game is scuppered by not being on a Saturday.

On the other, an overnight stay for those who can make it has the potential to be even better than a day trip. Odds on an Albion fan falling into the canal in The Canalhouse after one too many beers have been slashed as a result.

Forest is the penultimate game of April. Wolves at home follows, whilst it is preceded by Brentford at home, Spurs and Chelsea away and City at home.

Trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Stamford Bridge back-to-back will give Brighton the chance of repeating their six points from London in the space of a week a year after winning at Arsenal and Spurs.

Fixtures at home to Everton and away to Arsenal start the final month of the 2022-23 season for Brighton. The Albion’s last home game is against Southampton on Saturday 20th May with Aston Villa away rounding off the campaign on Sunday 28th.

Brighton fans will be hoping that the Albion have the Premier League title secured before that visit to Villa Park. The Seagulls do not have good form when it comes to playing Villa away on the final day when needing three points to be crowned champions.

Not sure anyone could cope with history repeating itself by Robert Sanchez letting a shot through his legs from 30 yards in the 89th minute.

The full fixture list can be viewed on the official Albion website.