The Premier League fixture list hasn’t been too unkind to Brighton
Brighton and Hove Albion fans could be forgiven for wishing the summer away as they count down to the start of the new Premier League season.
Many Seagulls supporters still cannot believe they will be witnessing their side in the top flight for the first time in 34 years, but with the release of the fixtures this week, reality might just start to sink in!
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Chris Hughton will have been eagerly awaiting the release of next season’s fixtures and will be delighted to have been handed a home tie on the opening weekend. He may have been less pleased about the identity of the visitors. Manchester City will be the first team to arrive at the Amex this season, offering a tough test for the newly promoted side.
Pep Guardiola’s side will be determined to make amends for an underwhelming season in which they failed to win any trophies. However, the atmosphere around the stadium will be electric and the players will be suitably pumped for the momentous occasion – key ingredients to making life difficult for Man City’s megastars.
Brighton’s first away trip will see them head to the East Midlands to face Leicester at the King Power Stadium. Craig Shakespeare’s side only lost five times in front of their own fans last season but suffered a poor end to the campaign.
Life starts to become much easier in the following weeks, with a trip to Watford and a home fixture against West Brom. They make the short trip across to the Vitality Stadium on September 16th. This should be the time to start accruing points, with a winnable looking set of matches culminating in the visit of fellow promoted side Newcastle.
Brighton face Spurs on the December 13th as they travel to Wembley to face last season’s runners-up. Many pundits have tipped Spurs to struggle at the National Stadium this year but the players have insisted it won’t faze them.
Arguably the hardest fixture on the list arrives on Boxing Day as Hughton’s side travel to Stamford Bridge to face champions Chelsea. If the Seagulls are beaten in West London they won’t have long to wait to exact revenge as the two sides meet at the Amex on January 20th.
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The end of the season looks much tougher, with a trip to Anfield bringing the curtain down closely following a home fixture with Manchester United. That being said, the East Sussex side are 8/13 to avoid relegation next season and new customers can get a free £20 bet with which to back the Seagulls to avoid the drop.
Brighton are preparing meticulously for the campaign. They are looking to add Matt Ryan to the side to replace the outgoing David Stockdale, and the club have been heavily linked with a move for Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham. This would be a savvy addition to an already impressive squad.
Although they’ve been drawn against one of the top six sides in their opening match, the fixture list doesn’t look too daunting for the Seagulls. The winnable games are plentiful and the tricky encounters appear to be reasonably spaced out. There’s plenty of room for optimism at the Amex.
