Sussex

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Comeback kings Brighton take on a Newcastle side with more Premier League clean sheets than anyone else this season. BBC Sport examines some of the key themes before Saturday's match.

Jan Paul van Hecke's late equaliser salvaged a point for Brighton away at Wolves in their last game, maintaining the Seagulls' formidable record of coming from behind under Fabian Hurzeler.

Since the German's appointment in June 2024, Albion have gained 30 points from losing positions, at least four more than any other Premier League side.

Hurzeler called the display at Molineux "a good performance but not a great performance", adding "we can play better football but are not machines".

There is certainly room for improvement at the back. Brighton are one of only three teams still awaiting a first Premier League clean sheet of the season and have shut out the opposition just once in their past 19 top-flight games.

They do have an excellent record at home to Newcastle, having avoided defeat in all eight of their Premier League home matches against the Magpies. However, given the visitors' strong defensive record, Albion will be keen to avoid playing catch-up again this weekend.

Miserly Magpies a tough nut to crack

The international break arguably came at the wrong time for Newcastle, who registered back-to-back wins for the first time this season by beating Union Saint-Gilloise and Nottingham Forest, scoring a total of six unanswered goals in those victories.

Goalscoring has been an issue for the Magpies, with only Forest and Wolves netting fewer so far in the Premier League. However, summer signing Nick Woltemade has made a strong start to life on Tyneside, scoring in each of the past three games, easing concerns about the impact of losing Alexander Isak to Liverpool.

Woltemade, 23, maintained that momentum by scoring his first senior international goal in Germany's win against Northern Ireland on Monday.

At the other end of the pitch, Newcastle have proved a tough nut to crack, keeping five clean sheets in seven Premier League matches. That is the joint-highest total in the top five European leagues, matching Lyon's total in Ligue 1.

It is all the more impressive given Eddie Howe has had to contend with several injuries to his rearguard. Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall are not expected back until next month at the earliest, while Fabian Schar also missed time before returning as an unused substitute against Forest.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Newcastle (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Brajan Gruda is unavailable due to a knee injury and Diego Gomez will be assessed today after returning from international duty with a thigh injury.

• Karou Mitoma and Joel Veltman are "in training" but there is "still a question mark" over whether they will be available.

• Meanwhile, Solly March could return "by the end of the year" if there are no further issues with his rehabilitation. Hurzeler added: "He is doing well and progressing. I see him running on the pitch, which is always a positive. He seems to be in a good mood."

• On the number of injuries they have had already this campaign: "It is the same issue we had last season. You will never hear me complaining about these things because we try to find solutions. Some injuries at the moment are quite unlucky."

• The Albion manager said he had some time off to "refresh" during the international break because it's "important to reflect and analyse".

• More on the impact of the international break: "The national teams have a responsibility for how they send players back and unfortunately not every country behaves in the same professional way. We have to deal with it."

• He said to improving their performances and results will be decided by "small margins": "It's important to not overreact or get distracted if we concede a goal. It's about keeping the structure and energy and those things have dropped at times. It's about trusting your own quality and having belief that we are always capable of scoring goals."

• On opponents Newcastle: "They have an unbelievable offensive ability. They have amazing individual quality so we have to defend well as a team and stick together."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

In the final part of our Q&A with BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor, we talk about the form of Carlos Baleba and Kaoru Mitoma.

Alex asked: Do you think Baleba and Mitoma's drop-off in form is due to the loss of support from Pervis Estupinan sweeping forward to help, or an unbalanced/random midfield, with Yasin Ayari getting more game time?

Johnny answered: I think the issues are probably different for the two players.

Estupinan was certainly one of the most energetic Albion players of recent years and that cannot be underestimated. He had also played regularly behind Mitoma so the pair had struck up a really good partnership. It may take a little time for Maxim de Cuyper and midfielders to do the same.

Mitoma has not been quite at the levels of last season, but that may be down to injury niggles, and also opposition double up on him much more now.

Carlos Baleba seems unsettled but was inconsistent last season too. Some may suggest that he has been affected by reports linking him to a move to Manchester United, but that is over for the time being, so they need him to refocus and deliver.

I think there is a danger of people comparing him to Moises Caicedo. My feeling is he actually may be better playing further forward. Ayari will play regularly, but I don't see that as connected to the above.

Check over the Brighton page from Thursday to find more from Johnny's Q&A

Image source, Getty Images

In the second part of our Q&A with BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor, we have been discussing how Danny Welbeck should be used and who will be the side's top scorer.

Clive asked: Can you explain why Fabian Hurzeler doesn't like to play Welbeck as a super-sub? He plays so much better over the final 45 minutes.

Johnny answered: So far in the Premier League, Welbeck has started four matches and been a substitute in three games. It is always difficult to assess without seeing him train week-in and week-out, but I think the lack of other number nines is why he starts more games than maybe some expect.

I also think the opposition will be taken into consideration and whether that particular team suits a certain set-up. Hurzeler does talk about "finishers" like in rugby, but at the moment Welbeck is a key option from the start as well as the bench.

If Stefanos Tzimas develops, we may see Welbeck off the bench more as the season progresses.

Ed asked: Who do you think will be Brighton's top Premier League goalscorer this season and how many goals will they get? I would say either Diego Gomez or Brajan Gruda, what do you think?

Johnny answered: Well, Ed, as it stands at the moment, it could be anyone!

Only Danny Welbeck has two goals and they came as a substitute in the same game. The rest have one. I think with better decision-making in front of goal, Yankuba Minteh has a chance of delivering double figures.

One good thing is the team already has eight different goalscorers, so it is not reliant on just one player. Last season they had 18 and I expect the number this term to rise. Maybe Stefanos Tzimas could break into the team and get on a run.

However, I did once tip Chris O'Grady to be top scorer and that certainly did not come to fruition!

Return to the Brighton page later on Thursday for the final part of Johnny's Q&A where we he will be talking about Carlos Baleba's and Kaoru Mitoma's form

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton have confirmed that goalkeeper Jason Steele has extended his contract at the club until 2028.

The 35 year-old, who has made 60 appearances for the Seagulls, said: "The progress the club has made since I came to Brighton is incredible and hopefully I can complete 10 years with the club, which would be a fantastic achievement personally.

"I'm looking forward to playing my part in Brighton's future. Our ambition this season is to qualify for Europe again."

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler added: "I'm delighted Jason is going to be with us for the next few years. He is a big influence in the dressing room and he maintains high standards on and off the pitch every day. I am pleased he will be on the journey with us in the coming seasons."