Brighton & Hove Albion

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

For week seven, he takes on Will Champion and Jonny Buckland from Coldplay, whose latest album, Moon Music, came out on Friday.

Sutton's prediction: 3-3

I love watching Spurs and the same applies to Brighton at the moment.

This should be known as the high-line derby, with the way both teams set up. It will be a great game for the neutral and there should be plenty of chances at both ends.

Brighton lost for the first time under new manager Fabian Hurzeler last week, so this is about how they respond. Can they cause Tottenham problems? Absolutely.

For Tottenham, it is about showing consistency after they put in an outstanding performance to beat Manchester United.

James Maddison was so integral to what they did at Old Trafford, as were the Spurs centre-halves.

As I’ve said many times, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have to be their best players because they get left exposed, but they can handle that.

As I said this on this week's Monday Night Club on Radio 5 Live, while everyone talks about the quality of Arsenal's centre-halves, they always have the full-backs next to them. It is very different for the Spurs duo, because they leave the door open by playing the way they do.

So I am expecting goals, but I actually think Brighton will get something out of the game.

I have always felt that Spurs will soon give someone one hell of a beating sooner or later, but they are going to have to wait until after the international break because it is not happening here.

Will and Jonny's prediction: 2-3

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

Brighton prepare to host Tottenham on Sunday in a game that could potentially be defined by both teams' tendency to play with a high defensive line.

While Spurs' high line and pressing saw them claim an impressive 3-0 victory at Manchester United last weekend, Albion's came under scrutiny after they conceded four first-half goals at Chelsea.

Discussing the topic on the latest Planet Premier League podcast, former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas said teams must find the balance of when use a high-line approach.

"Some teams will not have the capacity to understand it, but once they catch you and they understand your game, you will have a lot of problems, especially against the big teams," he added.

"Why do you want a high line if you are not pressuring the ball? If someone is running at you and you are not running back, you only need the good timing of the striker and the good timing of a little pass or chip behind your backline and the guy will be one-on-one against your goalkeeper. Where is the balance?"

Listen to Planet Premier League now on BBC Sounds

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We asked for you to tell us one thing - good or bad - that no-one is talking about at Brighton.

Here are some of your comments:

Neil: We could do with more pace at the back to play that high line but, what no-one is talking about is just how much we are missing Pascal Gross!

David: Injuries, injuries, injuries. It is the key factor. We have not played with a settled team since January and it shows - especially in defence.

Sam: The only thing missing at the club right now is kindness and patience. There's a new boss and six or seven new players. We must give them time. Also, the abuse Adam Webster recieved is truly horrible. He has been a great servant to the club and a true professional. Why should one mistake lose our love for him? Remember what the club has been built on. Kindness.

Bodian: The fact that Cole Palmer's free-kick was taken from about 12 yards nearer the goal then the offence occurred. Yes, it was a great free-kick, but he would never have scored if the ref had made him take it from the correct place.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

There can often be a lot of focus on distances covered and sprints made by teams, but how much of a difference does it really make to their success?

When it comes to distance covered by teams it is the 'battle of the B's' with Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford having covered the most ground in the Premier League so far this season.

At the other end of the scale, bottom side Wolves have run the least so far - 5km fewer than any other side.

Initially, I thought this could be due to how difficult their start has been (i.e. sitting deep and not rushing out against top opponents), but they actually rank mid-table in pressing stats (with no players missing via red cards either).

But, it is worth noting that running a lot does not necessarily equal success.

Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Chelsea and Aston Villa have also been the 'laziest' teams so far yet have started the season well.

It is a similar story when it comes to sprints too - some good teams sprint a lot, some good teams sprint little.

Tottenham have made the most sprints in the Premier League this campaign, followed by fellow high-pressers Liverpool and Bournemouth.

But defending champions Manchester City have made the least – 60 fewer than any other team – and yet they have been pretty good so far too.

Looking at which teams have made the most sprints – Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea – and which the fewest – City, Arsenal, Villa – it suggests that playing style plays a part in how much a team sprints as well as just work rate.

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou says Brighton counterpart Fabian Hurzeler "made a real impression on everyone" when he visited the Spurs training ground last year.

"He spent a day with us," Postecoglou explained. "He asked a lot of questions and I gave him too many answers, for sure.

"I actually palmed him off at one stage because he was asking too many. I passed him to the other coaches.

"He was inquisitive about everything. He was already a senior manager, doing a good job, and the fact that he still wanted to ask questions - he made a real impression on everyone."

Spurs visit Brighton on Sunday and Postecoglou was asked whether he would have extended the invitation to Hurzeler had he known that they would be facing each other this season.

"Yes, I would have done," he said. "There's nothing wrong with being a nice person.

"If somebody comes and knocks on your door and wants a cup of tea as a kindred spirit, you let him in your house. He's not going to take the furniture or steal the cutlery. You kind of trust that."

Image source, Getty Images

Just one of the 14 Premier League meetings between Brighton and Tottenham has finished as a draw (1-1 in April 2018), with Spurs winning nine to the Seagulls' four.

Former defender Guy Butters believes that "there will be goals" when Brighton host Tottenham on Sunday.

Butters, who played for both the Seagulls and Spurs in his career, told BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast that he expects an exciting game at the Amex.

"It will be two teams that want to play football the right way, get the ball on the floor, pass it around really quickly and hit each other on the break," he said.

"Whether Tottenham will come and sit back and look to do that, I don't know, but I'm pretty sure that if we do get an early goal it will be an interesting game because Tottenham have got to come at us and I think that will open them up as well.

"I was going to hedge my bets and go for a safe draw but I'd probably say 2-2 or 2-1 either way, I certainly think there will be goals."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

There has been so much chat this week about Brighton's high line and how it came unstuck at Chelsea last Saturday.

Before that, discussions were around the unbeaten start for Fabian Hurzeler mixed in with niggles about failing to beat Nottingham Forest or Ipswich Town at Amex Stadium.

But, you know your club best. What's everyone missing? What is the one thing nobody is talking about - good or bad - but really should be?

Tell us here, external - and come back later on Friday to find some of your suggestions

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Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has taken full responsibility for last weekend's 4-2 loss to Chelsea, saying his gameplan "wasn't good enough".

The Seagulls were beaten for the first time this season and Hurzeler now wants to see a reaction from his side when they host Tottenham on Sunday.

"It's very important after defeat that you are honest to yourself and that you reflect on what was good and what was not good," he said.

"If you lose, of course there are more negative points. We analyse these negative points and discuss them with the team. We try to find solutions and try to show a reaction as a team on Sunday.

"There were positive things, especially in possession. Chelsea scored four goals but we also had the chances to score four goals.

"In the end we have to learn from it, I have to learn from it because I was the one responsible for the match plan and the match plan wasn't good enough."

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport journalist

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur (kick-off 16:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Hurzeler confirmed that Brajan Gruda and Solly March "trained really good" this week and will be available for selection, as will James Milner and Joel Veltman. However, Matt O'Reilly, Joao Pedro and Jan Paul van Hecke remain out through injury.

• He said he takes full responsibility for the defeat at Chelsea, adding he needs to "learn from it and show a reaction".

• On Georginio Rutter, who opened his account for the club: "I think he also showed before his goal his good performances. He doesn't need goals to believe in himself. He's had a great impact and a great start at his new club. He's a very humble person and tries to work hard. His shape when he arrived wasn't the best but now through training sessions he is getting fitter and fitter and we are very happy to have him."

• When asked how O'Reilly's recovery is going: "He's very positive and is making small steps forward, I think that's very important when you've had a bad injury. He's sticking to the plan after surgery and we are looking forward to seeing him back on the pitch."

• On Pascal Gross returning for his send-off on Sunday: "I would enjoy seeing him more if he was in the Seagulls colours. He's a great character and a great player. You can already see his impact at Borussia Dortmund and I'm very happy to welcome him back to his old home. All the players are looking forward to seeing him."

• Hurzeler said he's a coach that likes his teams to be "dominant" with possession and the current statistics show that they are able to "compete with every team" in the Premier League. He did say though it is important that his team finds a "balance" in some games.

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

Listen to full commentary of Brighton v Tottenham from 16:30 BST on Sunday on BBC Radio 5 Live

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The Premier League Key Match Incidents panel was split on the decision to award Chelsea a penalty for a foul by Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba on Jadon Sancho.

Baleba was deemed to have fouled Jadon Sancho by referee Peter Bankes.

A 3-2 majority on the panel sided with the on-field decision to award the penalty.

The two panel members that voted against the decision felt that Baleba was "entitled to run that line" and stated it "looks worse due to the closing gap".

The KMI panel, made up of five members, includes three ex-players and managers.

Image source, Getty Images

The way Fabian Hurzeler wants to play at Brighton is with a high press. For that reason, they have a high defensive line because their first form of defence is attack.

If you play with that high line then you have to read what is in front of you. Chelsea’s Cole Palmer was successfully getting the ball over the top early on in the game and as a defender you should be reading those situations.

There are pros and cons to playing against a high line. If you are clever, then you can certainly exploit it as it leaves lots of space behind. I used to enjoy it and be that player who played as a number 10 to make deeper runs.

It can also be difficult to play against when you have players that do not time their runs or you have centre-forwards and wide players that do not sit on the line. Quite often, players make their runs too early then and are offside.

But Palmer was able to identify Brighton's weakness and he was was able to exploit it so often.

You would have thought the manager or defenders themselves would have changed it so they dropped in earlier to deny those spaces.

I would have expected that as part of the in-game management.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Image source, Getty Images

Former striker and co-host of BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast Warren Aspinall believes "something has to be done" about the high line that Brighton are deploying this season.

The Seagulls were left exposed on Saturday as Chelsea's Cole Palmer helped himself to four goals in a 4-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

While the frailties may have been highlighted more so in this fixture, Aspinall believes it has been a common theme this season.

"It's not just about the Chelsea game I don't think, I think it is previous games also," he said.

"If we start with Arsenal, we played the high line there and I remember Havertz getting in one against one and it was a great save from Verbruggen to keep the game at 1-1.

"Then we had the game at Ipswich, they got in over the top and hit the post. Nottingham Forest got in over the top and scored and then every time Chelsea went forward on Saturday, they got in and could have scored more than four.

"OK, it has been highlighted for the Chelsea game but it has happened in the previous three games.

"It is a worry and something has to be done about it."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Former Brighton & Hove Albion manager Barry Lloyd died at the age of 75 last week.

Lloyd, who managed the Seagulls between 1987-1993, would later return to the club as Chief Scout in 2007, a position he went on to hold for nearly 15 years.

Speaking on BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast, former Brighton defender Guy Butters paid tribute to Lloyd.

"He was there for years, he was a great servant to the club and it's very sad news," he said.

"He was born in Hillingdon, as was I, and my dad played cricket with and against him when they were younger. Football was always his favourite sport and he excelled at that and he played for some great clubs.

"I always remember seeing clips of him against West Ham United when he was playing for Fulham in a cup final.

"I managed to work for the club in a little stage of my career and came across Barry when I was there. He was always approachable, always talkative and he will be a sad loss.

"I've spoken about him before with ex-players and everyone has really kind words to say about him, he gave a lot of them their chances when they were younger. It was at a time when they were really battling to stay in the Football League at one stage and he came in and stamped his name all over the football club."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Sometimes you just have to scream that the Emperor’s new clothes are indeed just nakedness, or in this case brazen stupidity.

‌The goalkeeping and defensive blunder count at Stamford Bridge on Saturday was incredible. There was a point when Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez was in line for the man-of-the-match award…for Brighton! He certainly provided an unmissable assist for Carlos Baleba’s goal that made it 3-2, as well as being at fault for their first.

‌He was not the only one defending terribly. The ultra-high defensive line by Brighton, away from home against lightning-quick attackers and clever players not being closed down in midfield, looked frankly embarrassing.

‌In times gone by, this would have been decried as monumental naivety, but the current Premier League groupthink has certain immutable tenets. One is that playing out from the keeper must be done even when he demonstrably cannot actually play outfield football at that level.

‌In my career - and that was not yesterday – as a midfield creative, I dreamed of playing against such a predictable and frankly quite sluggish high defensive line. It is incredibly easy to beat their offside trap with an average run from deep and a relatively simple well-timed pass or indeed just an unfocused hook over the top.

‌Forget the Emperor’s new clothes, Brighton were caught with their pants down time and again and they never thought to pull them back up again. Weird.

‌The Premier League can be great, but it can also be technically a bit rubbish sometimes too. Are you allowed to say that?

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The latest episode of the Albion Unlimited podcast has landed.

Former Brighton defender Guy Butters joins the BBC Radio Sussex podcast to discuss the Seagulls' defensive strategy and pay tribute to Barry Lloyd.

The Sun journalist Tom Barclay also checks in to help preview Tottenham's trip to Amex Stadium on Sunday.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Scott McCarthy
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Tin hat on... I like Adam Webster. An opinion which very much goes against the grain of most Brighton supporters after he was culpable for gifting Chelsea the first of their four goals at Stamford Bridge.

Since signing for the Albion in 2019, Webster has played a big part in helping establish the club in the Premier League. During the 2021-22 season, when Brighton finished top 10 for the first time in their history, his form was good enough to be in the conversation for an England call up. Unfortunately, injury ruined that.

However, time waits for no one.

Two-and-a-half years later and Brighton have moved on. Tony Bloom wants the Seagulls to become regular challengers for Europe - and it is fair to say Webster is no longer good enough to be playing for a club desiring a top-eight finish.

This is not his fault, which is the point a lot of his critics in the wake of what happened at Chelsea appear to be missing. After all, Brighton signed nearly £200m worth of new players in the summer.

It seems mad a club can be the biggest net spenders in world football, and yet not sign a new centre-back to leave themselves in a position where one injury or suspension means throwing Webster into the starting XI.

Making the situation stranger is that Brighton knew in the summer they were appointing a head coach who deploys a high line. They also knew their defensive options are somewhat lacking in pace. They needed a different profile of centre-back to suit the tactics of Fabian Hurzeler.

Webster has become the fall guy when he should never have been put in the position of playing against Chelsea in a system unsuited to him.

It all means defensive reinforcements must be a priority for Brighton over the next couple of transfer windows.

Find more from Scott McCarthy at We Are Brighton, external

Image source, Getty Images

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

Here are some of your comments:

Chelsea fans

Stevie: Literally a game of two halves. Looked fantastic going forwards but same defensive issues affecting us, Enzo Fernandez doesn't look able to play in a two-man midfield and wants too much time on the ball. Jadon Sancho looked lively again and I think Palmer might be pushed out on the right to get Nkunku playing in the 10.

Mathew: Really good from us. Cole Palmer is unbelievable and his free-kick was just as good. A shame with the two goals we conceded as Robert Sanchez has to do better. Sancho, Nicolas Jackson, Fernandez and Levi Colwill played well. It’s also great to see Romeo Lavia playing again. Renato Veiga looks like a really good signing. Great performance. On to Thursday.

Lawro: Visually, the scoreline is pleasing. However, to concede two goals in the manner that we did is unforgiveable. Sanchez was at fault with both goals, but he made two crucial saves to redeem himself. He needs to work on his judgement, which at best is poor!

Richard: The game against Brighton was helter-skelter, exciting but riddled with errors. Both defences hardly inspire confidence. Cole Palmer strode through it all and might have notched six or seven goals. Sancho's form is encouraging and in only a handful of games, he already has a number of assists. Chelsea score freely and the fans will not be complaining.

Brighton fans

Stuart: Albion have had this coming. The lack of defensive signings this summer has meant that this was always a possibility with our high risk of playing, I love our gallant approach to the game but now without Pascal Gross and Billy Gilmour ahead of them, I am unsure our defense is fit for purpose. This will happen again and again.

Matt: Brighton’s defence was embarrassing at times. The high line is too risky against good teams as Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster do not have the speed needed to get back. It’s Brighton’s first loss but there has been warning signs of this defensive display coming. Back to the training ground on Monday. This must improve against Tottenham next week. Finally, rest in peace Barry Lloyd [former Brighton manager, who died on Saturday].

Malcolm: We need to sort out how we defend, Webster was appalling and Pervis Estupinan not much better. Dunk is showing signs of being past his sell-by date. I worry about the tactics against better sides where we need to be more solid. On the bright side Carlos Baleba just gets better and Adam Welbeck is not yet injured!

Luke: Palmer will get all the headlines and he is a wonderful player but all four goals were down to our poor play. The high line is exposed by our lack of pace at the back. Tough run of games coming up. We will be regretting not getting more in the last two home games as we drop down the table.

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:

• Arsenal 4-2 Leicester

• Wolves 1-2 Liverpool

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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There is no shame in losing the modern Chelsea but the nature of some of the four goals conceded was calamitous.

Manager Fabian Hurzeler only conceded four goals ahead of kick off, yet the blueprint had already been set - punish the Seagulls for their high line and chances will come.

Amad Diallo, Kai Havertz, Chris Wood and Ramon Sosa had all profited from mistakes due to the high line or from simply running in behind the defenders, usually camped around the 50 yard mark, whether in or out of possession.

On Saturday at Stamford Bridge, it was the Cole Palmer show but each of the four goals involved that very same weakness.

Of course, it is difficult to legislate when Adam Webster's poor pass back to goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was under-hit but it seems a risky strategy to be quite so extreme with this approach, given neither Webster nor Lewis Dunk are particularly quick.

Of course, playing so high up the pitch helped Brighton to two goals, exploiting Chelsea's errors in the build up as Georginio Rutter and Carlos Baleba both scored.

But ultimately, Brighton gave too much away, surviving two other goal scoring opportunities for tight offside calls, seeing Nicolas Jackson miss a host of chances, and Pervis Estupinian narrowly avoided a red card for a tactical foul on Noni Madueke when attempting to clean up in behind.

Ultimately, this high-risk, almost roulette-like approach seems risky, especially against teams of Chelsea's calibre despite potentially having its place against lesser opponents.

Tom Rostance
BBC Sport journalist

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After Georgino Rutter opened the scoring with his first Premier League goal, it was alarming how quickly Brighton fell apart at Stamford Bridge.

Not only did Cole Palmer score four times in 20 minutes, Chelsea had three goals disallowed and could comfortably have scored seven or eight times.

Brighton's high line was caught out time and again, and there is plenty for Fabian Hurzeler to ponder after his first defeat.

The manager said: "It is still a process and we need a good connection on the pitch and we did not have that connection today. It is my job as a head coach to improve these things.

"We need to find a good balance, we can't lose our structure as quickly as we did. We all need to learn something, including me."

With 30 efforts on goal in total the match was seriously entertaining - and Brighton host Tottenham next. That should be tight...