Wolverhampton Wanderers travel to the South Coast of England tomorrow to face a Brighton and Hove Albion side that find themselves winless in seven matches, and currently sit 17th in the Premier League table.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side will look to bounce back after defeat at Old Trafford last time out, as Marcus Rashford's 93rd minute winner sunk the Midlands side to 12th in the table.

The Wanderers have been in indifferent form of late, and have struggled to put together a run of good form, which would potentially see them climb right up the table.

Three points for either side would be huge and are much needed, as The Seagulls are only two points from the drop zone, and if Wolves fail to win, they might start to feel that their chances of reaching the  top 7 are slowly slipping away.

  • Brighton and Hove Albion's recent poor form

The hosts come into this fixture having only picked up four points from their previous seven games, with defeats to the likes of Arsenal, Leicester City and Southampton

Brighton have only scored five goals in this time, with their main source of goals being Pascal Groß and former Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck, whilst shipping 10 goals.

Embed from Getty Images

Graham Potter's men last felt the sweet feeling of victory when they shocked the league and beat in form Aston Villa, 2-1 at Villa Park. Despite having less of the ball that day, Brighton showed the class that they do have on the counter attack as they punished the Villans for sloppy passing and defending. 

Coming into this fixture against Nuno's Wolves side, Brighton will be fearing the pressure with the knowledge that they need something from the game as the relegation zone lurks just beneath them.

  • Brighton's defensive formation could halt the Wolves pack.

Despite not being too good at the back this year, and conceding 25 goals, Brighton are not going up against the most prolific side in the league tomorrow. Wolves side are the fifth lowest scoring side in the entirety of the league, with just 15 goals in 16 matches.

The way that Potter sets his team out could really cause problems for Wolves, as Brighton like to play with a back three that turns into a back five very easily.

Throughout the season, The Seagulls have played with a back three, either in a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 formation, which is defensively sound but also poses a certain threat to opposition teams, especially in the wide areas.

Embed from Getty Images

As for Wolves, who also often play a similar formation, they may struggle to break down Brighton, especially if they play with a back five again. Previously the Old Gold and Black of Wolverhampton Wanderers have struggled going forward, as they have not had a platform to play off and build around.

Since the injury to Raúl Jimenez against Arsenal, Fabio Silva has stepped in, and despite playing well and scoring one goal, his inexperience has shown as Wolves have struggled to build up play in the final third.

It will be interesting to see how both sides line up, and if either manager looks to throw a spanner in the works by switching their game plan up. 

  • The Verdict

This is a fixture that in previous years, you would have assumed Wolves would come out on top of, but now, however, with the injuries that Nuno's side have and the lack of goalscoring threat, it is a game that could go either way. 

Embed from Getty Images

It is likely that Wolves will dominate the ball and try to play through and around Brighton, whilst also being conscious about the threat that the hosts pose on the counter attack. 

Brighton will sit deep and try to see out any danger that Wolves throw at them, before using players such as Neil Maupay, Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Welbeck to strike on the counter.

As for Wolves, they will have to grab the game by the scruff of the neck, if they are to come away with the win. They will have to ensure that they have the majority of the ball, and try to get men running beyond the Brighton backline to stretch them and create space for others to occupy. Pedro NetoDaniel Podence and Adama Traore will play a huge part in the success of the visitors.

Match Prediction: Brighton and Hove Albion 1-3 Wolverhampton Wanderers.