Brighton & Hove Albion

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Newcastle and Brighton.

Here are some of your comments:

Newcastle fans

Ward: Unfortunately we lacked a cutting edge and the guile needed to unlock a resolute defence. Our set pieces and corners are disappointing with little variation or creativity. This is important with the amount of box pressure we can generate.

Mike: It was very similar to the Everton game were we dominated but couldn't find the net. Again we created good chances against a resolute Brighton team and again we couldn't finish. It's so frustrating to watch, as long as we work hard and believe goals will eventually come.

Tom: Probably one of the most one sided first halves I have ever seen at St James Park. Newcastle should have been at least a couple ahead by half time. Newcastle's luck summed up with the Isak shot that hit Murphy. Shooting practice in training this week might be helpful. Right winger and a forward who can score goals are urgently required in the January sales.

Brighton fans

Philip: It was great to see a more pragmatic performance. We defended with determination as a team. Newcastle showed more intensity than us in the first half but lacked the finishing. If only we had parked the bus once we were up against Chelsea. In the second half we could have added more goals. Brighton’s flexibility and pragmatism were brilliant.

Brian: Not Brighton's most convincing or fluent performance. However, a great piece of individual brilliance from Danny Welbeck and some good defending enabled them to take all three points. Points from this type of match are vital to sustain a European challenge.

Louis: After all the chat about a high line and heavy metal football, this was a steely defensive performance that got us over the line. We all loved De Zerbi, but there was never any variation in tactics. Imagine if we had played like that against Roma. We've now played four of the big six, Newcastle and Everton away and have 15 points. Exciting times!

Brighton have had around just 40% possession in their last two games - but have won them both.

Only once since the start of last season have they had less of the ball in a game – a 4-0 home defeat against Manchester City in April.

The Seagulls have averaged 60% possession in the Premier League since the start of last season.

Interestingly, Brighton had similarly little of the ball in the same fixtures against Newcastle and Tottenham last season – and still took four points.

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Brighton shotstopper Bart Verbruggen spoke to BBC Radio Sussex after Saturday's victory against Newcastle: "I think it's one of the toughest places to go in England so we knew we had to fight and work hard. I think everyone did that. I think if you work this hard then you deserve a result.

"It's a big step for us as a team that we can dominate games and dominate possession, but sometimes hang on in moments and don't give the opponents momentum.

"It's always nice to be important for the team, making some saves and keeping a clean sheet. It's a brilliant feeling.

"We showed what we are capable of in the second half against Tottenham and we told each other that that is the benchmark from now on in terms of intensity. We showed that again and we can build on that in the next couple of games."

Hear more from Verbuggen, as well as Fabian Hurzeler on BBC Sounds

Tom Gayle
BBC Match of the Day Commentator at St James’ Park

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This season already, not one but two of the biggest pundits in the game, have both admitted it was a mistake by Manchester United to sell Danny Welbeck. It’s ten years since the former England striker made the decision to leave Old Trafford and join Arsenal in search of more regular playing time. Following solid, if not specular spells in North London and Watford, it’s now in his fifth season at Brighton, serial winners Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville have both chosen to speak out in support of their former team-mate.

Whilst some may see their comments as an opportunity to criticise Manchester United’s recruitment over the past decade, the numbers don’t lie. Welbeck, thanks to five goals in eight games, is currently enjoying a career best start to a new campaign, 16 seasons on from making his Premier League debut.

Welbeck was my first choice when it came to post-match interview requests. However an injury late on which required the striker to leave the field on a stretcher whilst receiving oxygen meant I’ll have to wait a little longer for an explanation from the man himself as to why he’s in such good form.

In his place I spoke to the club captain, Lewis Dunk, who couldn’t speak more highly of his team-mate. "He's one of the top professionals at this football club and he's a great key to our success. He helps everyone, young and old.” Brighton's Head Coach Fabian Hurzeler describes the 33-year-old as a “special character and special player” who is “so important for the club, and for me, and his team-mates.”

As the former Manchester United midfielder Ravel Morrison famously tweeted “Welbz is dat guy”, a statement which quickly evolved into “Dat guy Welbz”, a nickname which is still a go to for club social media admins some 11 and half years later.

Gary Lineker brings highlights and analysis from Saturday's Seven Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Man Utd 2-1 Brentford

• Bournemouth 2-0 Arsenal

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport journalist

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Now approaching his 34th birthday, Danny Welbeck once again underlined his importance to Brighton with the match-winning contribution at St James' Park.

Over six years on from his 42nd and possibly final England cap, the former Manchester United and Arsenal striker has shown his enduring class during the Seagulls bright start to the campaign.

With five goals in eight top-flight appearances this term he has already equalled his tally for last season and on this evidence you would not back against him reaching double figures for the first time in his career.

Evan Ferguson’s hat-trick against the same opposition catapulted him into the national spotlight last term.

However, with the Republic of Ireland striker enduring a goal drought stretching some 11 months, Brighton will hope the injury that saw Welbeck leave the pitch on a stretcher later on, will not keep him out for an extended period.

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Brighton captain Lewis Dunk spoke to BBC Match of the Day about Danny Welbeck's injury after he scored against Newcastle: "I'm gutted to see him go off, he's been in top, top form this season. Hopefully it's not a bad injury and he'll be back soon.

"He was ruthless scoring his goal. Me and him have a good link up.

"He's one of the top professionals at this football club and he's a great key to our success. He helps everyone, young and old. Hopefully his injury is not too bad and we'll have him fighting to get fit."

On his own fight to get back into the England squad: "We shall see."

Image source, PA Media

Fabian Hurzeler spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Brighton's victory against Newcastle: "I think we suffered first half. There was a lot of intensity from Newcastle. But we showed a brilliant reaction.

"In the end, I wouldn't say it was a deserved win, but my team suffered and defended together.

"Sometimes that's football. We didn't deserve to score at the time when we did. But it's great individual quality from Danny Welbeck. I am very happy with him."

On Welbeck's injury: "No updates. I can't say any updates. I think he got a knee in his lower back. Let's wait until later, until tomorrow, then we'll know more.

"We defended together. In the end, defence wins Championships. We got smashed against Chelsea but we learnt from it. Not everything was perfect today, we have to be honest with ourselves. But the luck will come to you if you work for it.

"We have a lot of injuries, we always have to adjust things. But the guys are doing it brilliantly. Of course we want to focus on the process but you also need the results. For me, the result was good, the performance was OK."

Image source, Getty Images

Danny Welbeck registered his 100th Premier League goal involvement (72 goals, 28 assists) and has now scored as many goals in the competition this season as he did in the 2023-24 campaign.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

What did you make of Newcastle’s display?, external

Have your say on Brighton's performance, external

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week eight, he takes on legendary boxing manager Kellie Maloney.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

A few people out there thought Newcastle boss Eddie Howe would end up being the next England manager, but clearly that has not been the case.

Howe is doing a great job for Newcastle, though, and what a cracking game this should be. We know the way Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler plays too - like Howe, he really goes for it.

This is seventh in the table versus sixth, so these teams should be pretty well-matched, but If Alexander Isak is fit enough to feature up front for Newcastle after almost a month out, then he might just make the difference.

Kellie's prediction: This is going to be a good game. I like watching Newcastle, because I'm a big fan of Howe. 3-2.

Read the rest of their predictions, and have your own say here

There are seven matches that make up Saturday's Premier League action:

• Tottenham v West Ham - 12:30

• Fulham v Aston Villa

• Ipswich v Everton

• Manchester United v Brentford (listen on BBC Radio 5 Live)

• Newcastle v Brighton

• Southampton v Leicester

• Bournemouth v Arsenal - 17:30 (listen on BBC Radio 5 Live)

Kick-off 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Image source, Opta

With the October international break now firmly in the rearview mirror, Opta Analyst, external have turned their attention to the next four Premier League fixtures.

Here, they have given each team a ranking between 80 and 100 and then found the average to determine to difficulty of the schedule.

Liverpool's opening seven matches were ranked the easiest in the league, but their upcoming four are the fourth-toughest in the division. They will face Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Brighton, with an average opponent strength of 91.4 before the next international break.

Fellow early pacesetters Arsenal also have challenging fixtures, playing Bournemouth, Liverpool, Newcastle and Chelsea with an average rating of 90.7, while Manchester City's next four against Wolves, Southampton, Bournemouth and Brighton are ranked the third-easiest by Opta.

Chelsea and Brighton have the second-hardest and third-hardest runs respectively, a real test given the promising starts for their new managers Enzo Maresca and Fabian Hurzeler.

At the other end of the table, Leicester - who recently secured their first win of the season against Bournemouth - have a chance to build with the easiest run in the division. They face Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich and Manchester United.

Fellow promoted side Ipswich will hope to pick up their first win of the season during a run of games that is ranked the fifth-easiest.

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Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler says "it will be a fight" against Newcastle because playing well is not enough to get a result at St James' Park.

Albion travel to Tyneside on Saturday hoping to pick up where they left off from their stunning second half comeback against Tottenham before the international break.

"Now we try to get the mindset right to be ready for this tough game," Hurzeler said.

"It's not that you go there and can just play the best football. No, it will be a fight. You have to work for the game, you have to work for the momentum - and you work for it by doing the duels.

"You have to go into duels. You have to win them. You have to be ruthless. Then when you win the duels, you can gain self-confidence and then you will get the momentum.

"Then the quality from us might be shining if you have the confidence and can play football.

"But before that, it's working, working, working, fighting, fighting, fighting."

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has been fined by the Football Association for acting in an improper manner.

The Albion boss had been charged following an incident during their Premier League match against Nottingham Forest on 22 September involving Nuno Espirito Santo and Morgan Gibbs-White.

Hurzeler admitted to his charge after receiving a red card and has received an £8,000 fine after accepting the standard penalty.

Unlike his Forest counterpart Nuno, who will miss three matches, the German has avoided a touchline ban.

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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

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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

Image source, BBC Sport

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