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BBC Radio Newcastle's Matthew Raisbeck says the Magpies look "a lot fitter" than they did at the start of the season and believes Brighton's trip to St James' Park on Saturday could be "a lot of fun".

"Earlier this season they were not playing well but it did not look like they were fully fit," he told the Albion Unlimited podcast. "They have got a new performance director at the club called James Bunce and Eddie Howe has said they've worked together really well.

"A lot of fans have been asking the question about any kind of directive from above to just ease off in training a little bit. We've asked questions about that in press conferences.

"Eddie Howe has said that a lot of players have come back late from the summer break and international break and were just a bit sluggish at the start. What we've seen in the past couple of weeks is a team that is a lot fitter."

Both Newcastle and Brighton have picked up 12 points from their opening seven games and are side by side in the early Premier League table in sixth and seventh respectively.

Raisbeck is expecting an open and entertaining game when the two collide.

"Maybe it's just coincidental but if Newcastle are fit and aggressive like they were against Manchester City at home and Brighton come to play like they do it could be a lot of fun," Raisbeck said.

"It could be very open which the crowd will enjoy. Newcastle don't have a good record against Brighton home or away so there's always a little bit of anxiety around this fixture."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, Opta

After the October international break, the Opta supercomputer has updated its projected final Premier League table.

It is only seven matches into the campaign so much can still change, but the season is beginning to take shape. The supercomputer simulates thousands of seasons and takes the percentage each side finishes in each league position.

After a strong start under Enzo Maresca, Chelsea's chances of finishing fourth have increased from 19.5% to 37.1%.

Newcastle are second favourites for fourth spot at 15.1% - down slightly from 17.5% at the start of the campaign - followed by Tottenham at 14% which is up slightly from 11.6% before a ball was kicked.

Aston Villa's continued good form has seen their probability of finishing fourth go from 5.6% to 13.2%, with their most likely finish now fifth at 18.1%. Before the start of the season it was seventh or eighth, both at 11.1%.

Manchester United's poor start is reflected in their chance of finishing fourth dropping from 12.9% to just 2.1%.

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Simon Adingra believes it is possible for Brighton to qualify for a European competition again and said "if you play once in Europe you always want to play again".

The winger, who has only made one league start for Brighton this season and has missed the past two games because of injury, said: "We have a competitive squad, with a new manager and system.

"I want to play more but the coach decides, so I have to keep going and show I want to play."

After playing in the Europa League last season, the 22-year-old wants the Seagulls to have a quick return to playing in Europe: "We have a target and we want to be competitive for the top six, we are in a good way.

"Once you play in Europe you always want to play again, it's nice to travel and see new countries and players - it's a good feeling.

"We all want to do it again, Europe is our target. You always dream to play against big teams.

"It's possible, we just have to be positive and keep working - the Premier League is not easy, we know that we have to be humble."

Ahead of Saturday's fixture against Newcastle, he agreed with what his old coach Roberto de Zerbi said previously - that St James' Park has the best atmosphere in the Premier League.

"When you are on the pitch you feel proud to be at a place like that, a lot of people are watching you, it gives you motivation," said Adingra.

Listen to the full interview here

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Do you know who Brighton's fastest player is?

We've gathered the data from the season so far - and it's a winger whose surname begins with M.

Find out over here

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Former Brighton striker Warren Aspinall says Evan Ferguson still has to adapt to the change in playing style from former boss Roberto De Zerbi to current head coach Fabian Hurzeler.

Ferguson started both games for the Republic or Ireland over the international break but has not scored for club or country since November 2023 and has struggled for form since returning from the ankle injury that ended his season in April.

"You can't forget he's still a teenager," Aspinall told BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast.

"He's made his 11th international start so you have to say congratulations to him. As a teenager, he's just trying to integrate into the first team - and has already got 11 caps under his belt.

"The injury set him back a long way and but also the De Zerbi way of coming short for everything. I don't think Hurzeler wants his centre-forwards to do that.

"So, Ferguson has to get his game going again; stretching teams and playing as a natural centre-forward and not in the De Zerbi way of coming short all the time."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Former Brighton defender Paul Reid has been reminiscing about his Albion days spent playing in League One and the Championship at Withdean Stadium between 2004 and 2008.

"A lot of teams didn't like turning up there," Reid told BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast. "They'd turn up, see the changing rooms and see the running track around the ground... we had a good record at home.

"When I came down, I spoke to Michael Standing about the club and he filled me in on how great a club it was and how it was a smaller club looking to do things.

"I really enjoyed my four-and-a-half years at Brighton. It was a great community club where everybody got on well. There were no real superstars. Sometimes it's really refreshing to play in a side where you get on really well as a group of players, fight for each other and you're at the club for the right reasons.

"You wanted to be there and see the club grow and get results. You used to enjoy turning up to training even though the facilities were not the best. You knew you'd have a good time and if you were having a bad time, people would support you on and off the pitch."

Now an assistant coach at Sydney FC in the Australian A-League, Reid is enjoying his old club's success from afar.

"It's really nice to see how the club has gone from strength to strength and is doing great things in the Premier League," he added.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

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

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Defender Jan Paul van Hecke is available for the trip to St James' Park after recovering from a groin injury but Adam Webster and James Milner are both out with respective hamstring problems.

• Longer-term absentees Joao Pedro and Matt O'Riley remain sidelined while Hurzeler said he is yet to see Julio Enciso and Pervis Estupinan as they return late from international duty in South America.

• On Danny Welbeck's fine form: "Not surprised because I see how he is in training. He is a special character and special player and he is so important for the club and for me and his team-mates. He gets what he deserves."

• He said the club will give development coach Sam Baldock "the support and time he needs" after the death of his brother George last week: "We feel really sorry for him and the family. Brighton prove all the time when things happen that the club is there for the players and staff members."

• Solly March is "doing well mentally and physically" as he continues his comeback from a long-term knee injury: "We need to give him a lot of time. Being back after such a long injury is not a comeback that will be linear. He will have waves, Solly has to accept these ups and downs because they are normal."

• On Eddie Howe and the challenge posed by the Magpies: "He's a great coach. I have big respect for him, I'm really looking forward to competing with him. It will be tough there because Newcastle play quite intensely. The stadium is one of the best atmospheres in the Premier League. We need to have a cool head because it will be emotional."

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

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Manchester United boss Marc Skinner has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Women's Super League game against Brighton (kick-off 12:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Geyse is hoping to return to the squad but Melvine Malard is set to return after the international break. She is aiming for the Arsenal game on 3 November.

• Anna Sandberg is still five to six weeks away from returning, while Jayde Riviere is a doubt for the Brighton game and is being assessed.

• Skinner says the club were scouting Elisabeth Terland last season at Brighton and her mentality impressed them, as well as her clinical goalscoring.

• He adds: "It was her attitude. When I spoke to her it was about winning, pushing herself and being hungry for success not just for herself but for the team."

• Man Utd will come up against former striker Nikita Parris, who Skinner says will be described as "a legend of the game" in years to come.

• "I’ve nothing but great things to say about Parris and we have a tough job to make sure she doesn’t play her very best on Saturday," adds Skinner.

• Skinner says Brighton will be "confident" after a strong start to the season.

• He adds: "They play a possession-based style of football and obviously have some really experienced players that make them tick. It’s going to be an exciting tie and probably one of the games of the weekend. It’s exciting for Brighton fans seeing what they are going to do."