The Premier League’s next Monday Night Football offering pits Brighton & Hove Albion against Bournemouth in what promises to be a captivating clash between the South Coast rivals at the Amex Stadium on 19th January.
The Seagulls and the Cherries have been performing below par this season and will kick off Monday’s fixture in the bottom half of the Premier League table. However, continental qualification remains the target for both.
Bournemouth claimed the spoils when the sides last met in September’s reverse fixture (2-1), and a similar result on Monday would see them draw level on 29 points with Brighton.
We’ll have extensive coverage of Brighton’s clash with Bournemouth here at Tonybet, and below, we’ve previewed the game in detail, with info on form and team news, followed by our expert prediction for the contest.
Current form
Brighton came through a Mancunian double-header in some style over the last 10 days, earning a well-earned Premier League point at Manchester City (1-1), before dumping Manchester United out of the FA Cup at Old Trafford (2-1) shortly afterwards.
Albion rested several key players, including Bart Verbruggen, Lewis Dunk, Jan Paul van Hecke, Yasin Ayari and Kaoru Mitoma in that third-round triumph over United, making their victory all the more impressive and giving the squad a timely confidence boost ahead of Monday’s test.
Brighton were winless in six attempts during a troubled December schedule, but they’ve started the New Year with fresh vigour, kicking things off with a 2-0 win at home to Burnley before their successful back-to-back jaunts to Manchester.
Veteran striker Danny Welbeck, who started a game for the first time since 30th December, made a welcome return to the scoresheet with a thumping second-half strike against former club United last weekend, and the 35-year-old is now just one goal shy of hitting double figures for the campaign in all competitions.
With a sharp-looking Welbeck spearheading, Brighton have been priced as clear favourites with Tonybet (1.84) to collect three points at Bournemouth’s expense, and their strong home record this term supports their chances.
Brighton have lost only once in 10 Premier League assignments at the Amex Stadium this season, and only Arsenal and Sunderland have lost fewer times on their own patch than the Seagulls.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, have been falling on the wrong side of fine margins for large parts of the campaign, and last week’s penalty shootout defeat to Newcastle following a 3-3 draw at St. James’ Park in the FA Cup was a familiar tale of rotten luck.
Despite their poor results, Andoni Iraola’s adventurous side have been scoring plenty of goals in general. Before their treble against Newcastle, Bournemouth put three goals past Tottenham, hit two goals against Arsenal and Chelsea, and scored another four goals against Manchester United. However, defensive errors have hampered them badly.
Bournemouth, who lost three first-choice defenders and their keeper to predatory clubs last summer, just can’t find a way to plug their gaps at the back. As a result, they have won only one of their last 13 matches in the league and cup, despite playing well on several occasions.
Iraola’s side have also been playing with plenty of aggression. They’ve collected the joint-third-most cards in the division this season (52), and only Tottenham (55) and Monday’s opponents, Brighton (55), have picked up more.
Team news
Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler fielded a rotated XI against Manchester United in the FA Cup last weekend, and those rested stars, including first-choice keeper Verbruggen, key centre-back pairing Dunk and Van Hecke, midfielder Ayari and winger Mitoma, could all be restored to the team to face Bournemouth.
There were hopes that Yankuba Minteh might have been fit enough to earn a place on the bench at Old Trafford this week, but the wide attacker missed out. Minteh should be fit enough to rejoin the matchday squad here.
Stefanos Tzimas, Adam Webster, Solly March and Mats Wieffer remain sidelined through injury. Anchorman Carlos Baleba should be available again after his country, Cameroon, were eliminated from AFCON.
For Bournemouth, Enes Ünal, Will Dennis, Tyler Adams and Ben Gannon-Doak remain medium to long-term absentees with various injuries, and they have been joined in the treatment room by influential forward Justin Kluivert. The Dutchman’s knee issue requires surgery and he is expected to be out until April.
Kluivert’s absence is a hammer blow to the Cherries’ attacking gameplan following the exit of star Antoine Semenyo, who has just left the club to sign for Manchester City. Semenyo hit the winning goal from the spot when Bournemouth beat Brighton back in September.
Ryan Christie is closing in on a return from a knee problem and has an outside chance of being involved against Brighton.
Andoni Iraola put Adrien Truffert, Marcos Senesi, Evanilson, Marcus Tavernier and Álex Jiménez on the bench against Newcastle in last week’s cup clash, and all five will expect to be handed starts against Brighton.
Head-to-head
The home team has dominated recent iterations of this fixture, and that trend held firm in September when Bournemouth edged out Brighton (2-1) at the Gtech Community Stadium.
In fact, four of the last five meetings between the clubs have been won by the hosts, with the only away victory during that stretch coming in Albion’s 2-1 win at Bournemouth in November 2024.
The scorelines have also been consistent, with each of the teams’ last three encounters finishing 2-1 to the victor, while four of the sides’ last five skirmishes have featured goals at both ends.
In last season’s corresponding match at the Amex Stadium, Brighton won thanks to goals from João Pedro and Danny Welbeck, with Justin Kluivert netting Bournemouth’s consolation. Of those three scorers, only Welbeck will play a part on Monday evening.
In September’s clash, both Bournemouth and Brighton picked up four yellow cards each in a fixture that featured a total of 38 tackles and 26 fouls. Monday’s rematch could be similarly heated.
Key players to watch
Danny Welbeck – Despite closing in on his 36th birthday, Welbeck remains a real force in the Premier League. The Albion striker showcased his quality with an explosive finish with his left foot against Manchester United last weekend, and he can reach double figures for successive campaigns for the first time in his career with just one more goal.
Jan Paul van Hecke – Dutch defender Van Hecke has been averaging 5.30 clearances per game for Brighton this season, making him the club’s top performer for that metric. Alongside providing solid defensive foundations, the 25-year-old is an accomplished progressive passer, and is capable of starting moves from the back.
Carlos Baleba – Destroyer Baleba’s form has been hot and cold this season, with his failed summer move to Manchester United possibly leaving him unsettled. However, when purring, Baleba is a one-man wrecking ball in midfield for Brighton, while his ability to carry possession through the lines is often undervalued.
Eli Junior Kroupi – Young Frenchman Kroupi has started just seven Premier League matches for Bournemouth this season, though his haul of seven goals for the season points to his potential. The 19-year-old has been averaging a goal every 82.14 minutes this term, and the youngster should start to see more action following the sale of Semenyo.
Marcus Tavernier – Something of an unsung hero for the Cherries, the versatile Tavernier has chipped in with seven goal contributions in the Premier League since August (4G, 3A) and only Semenyo has provided more. Tavernier scored off the bench in the cup against Newcastle last week and he can provide more threat in the final third on Monday.
Marcos Senesi – Tough Argentine centre-back Senesi looks like being the latest big name to depart Bournemouth, with the 28-year-old already lining up a summer move. Senesi takes no prisoners and has already collected six yellow cards in the Premier League this season.
Our expert prediction
Brighton (1.83) have been priced as favourites to oust Bournemouth (3.70) in Tonybet’s match result markets ahead of Monday’s fixture, though the goal markets might be a safer route to profit at the Amex Stadium.
Despite their favourite status, Albion can’t be backed with any confidence following a run of just two wins in seven games. They’ve also dropped points in three of their last four Premier League home assignments, and are probably best avoided in the match result stakes.
Bournemouth, who haven’t won on the road since August, are even harder to fancy, though the Cherries’ goal-scoring (and conceding) exploits mean that they provide excellent value in the goal markets.
Backing BTTS to land for the fifth time in six meetings between Brighton and Bournemouth appeals here at 1.53, while bettors looking for a riskier pursuit might consider backing the Cherries to net over 1.5 times at 2.45.
Only four clubs have scored more Premier League goals than Bournemouth (34) this season, and Andoni Iraola’s sharpshooters have notched at least twice in each of their last four tests.
If you are lining up a flutter for the game, Tonybet has hundreds of markets for Brighton’s Monday Night Football date with Bournemouth, including match result, anytime scorer, card, corner, handicap options and more.
