Premier League: Grounding the Seagulls is the First Puzzle to Solve for the Hatters

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Luton Town

Luton Town took the football world by storm when they secured their promotion to the English top-flight after beating Coventry in the Championship playoff final last season, and their Premier League journey will start against Brighton at the AMEX Stadium this weekend.

A game against the Seagulls is far from an ideal opener for the Hatters considering the talent gap, but upsets are more likely to happen on the first matchday.

Brighton can somehow relate to Luton Town if you consider what they did in the league last season. Like the Hatters, the Seagulls managed to secure a spot in European football despite working with a relatively shoestring budget compared to the others.

It’ll be interesting to see if Luton Town can follow in Brighton’s footsteps here in the Premier League, and this game is a great litmus test for the newly promoted side.

Talking Points

Brighton’s stars being poached one by one

Given their success last season, much of Brighton’s summer is all about the Premier League 2023 news surrounding their biggest stars, and perhaps it has taken a toll on them.

World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister was the first to go after a productive campaign where he led the team with 12 goals and three assists, while his midfield partner Moises Caicedo made it clear that he wants out, with Chelsea as his potential destination.

Brighton and Chelsea continue to negotiate about Caicedo, but talks have stalled after the former rejected the latter’s mouthwatering $103 million bid. The Seagulls wouldn’t want a disgruntled star in their camp, so they must resolve his situation as soon as possible.

To be honest, it feels like it’s going to be a matter of time before both sides reach a compromise. Once they cash in on Caicedo, Roberto De Zerbi will lean heavily on the likes of Kaoru Mitoma, Evan Ferguson, and Julio Enciso to carry the offencive cudgels.

Mitoma has become one of the most exciting wingers in the Premier League after recording 10 goals and eight assists this season.

Evan Ferguson and Julio Enciso, on the other hand, had 14 goals and six assists combined, and they’re only going to get better since they have yet to reach 20 years old.

Morris and Adebayo to lead Luton Town

Luton Town didn’t do anything significant this summer transfer window, so it’s safe to say that they will lean on the same players who helped them secure their promotion to the Premier League.

Enter Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo, who will be tasked with leading the way for Luton Town this season, particularly in the final third.

Morris was the Hatters’ top scorer last term with 20 goals, and he also has eight assists, while Adebayo is right behind him with 10 goals and five assists.

Another key player for the Hatters is their veteran, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, who’s their anchor in midfield. He is Luton Town through and through because he is the first player to play for the same club from the National League to the Premier League.

History

Brighton and Luton Town will compete in a league match for the first time since 2007-08. In the said season, the Seagulls achieved a double in League One over the Hatters.

But in the top-flight, Luton Town got a double against Brighton in 1982-83, beating them with scorelines of 5-0 and 4-2.

The Seagulls have won their opening league match in each of the last two seasons after last doing so in three consecutive seasons between 1974-75 and 1976-77. This is also the first time that these two clubs will face off in their first league games of a season since 1928-29 in the Third Division South.

However, perhaps there’s hope for Luton Town this weekend, as Brighton have lost three of their six Premier League matches against promoted teams last term (W2, D1), which is as many as they had in their previous three campaigns combined (W8, D7, L3).

Betting Tip

Unsurprisingly, Brighton are being favoured by the SBOTOP Premier League 2023 odds to win on Saturday. The hosts are priced at 1.31 in the 1X2 market, whereas Luton Town are the underdogs at 7.20.

Snatching a point from the Seagulls is already considered a win for the Hatters, and should it happen, it will give you a substantial payout since it is priced at 5.00.

But it would be foolish to bet against Brighton since they’re too good under Roberto De Zerbi, and they should score a handful of goals to teach the new boys a lesson.

 

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