Brighton will take on Luton Town in both side's first matches of the new season on Saturday afternoon.
This will be a match that is looked forward to by football fans as an extremely exciting Brighton side will welcome Luton to the top flight for the first time since their relegation in the first season of the Premier League era.
The Hatters defeated Coventry City in the playoff final to secure promotion from the Championship last season.
Both sides have had major summer arrivals and departures over the course of the transfer window but the players will hopefully be ready to rumble heading into the 2023/24 season.
The bookies have suggested that a Brighton victory is highly likely and they have the highest clean sheet odds in the Premier League for the week at a whopping 51.5 percent.
This does not rule out the underdog in Luton as we have seen so many times before in football that absolutely anything is possible.
We expect an action packed game on both ends of the pitch so hopefully the match will live up to our expectations.
Team News
Ahead of their first season in a European competition, Brighton have bolstered their squad to cope with the amount of games within short time periods.
Roberto De Zerbi has recruited some superb players to add squad depth and competition to his side, with players such as Joao Pedro and Mahmoud Dahoud joining the club.
However there have also been some big blows to the team as key players have departed, with the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo leaving or looking set to leave the Amex Stadium.
Unlike their opponents, The Hatters have 4 injuries amongst their squad.
Daniel Potts, Gabriel Osho, Jordan Clark and Reece Burke have all been ruled out for the next match and the near future.
New marquee signings Ross Barkley is also not expected to feature for Rob Edwards' side just yet as he still needs to adapt to his new team.
The 29-year-old midfielder signed as a free agent following his departure from Nice.
Other than that there is no breaking news to come from Luton.
Predicted Lineups
Steele; Estupinan, Webster, Dunk, Veltman; Gross, Dahoud; Mitoma, Pedro, March; Welbeck
Kaminski; Bell, Lockyer, Anderson; Doughty, Chong, Nakamba, Mpanzu, Kabore; Morris, Adebayo
Key Players
Brighton- Kaoru Mitoma
In a stacked Brighton squad Mitoma is the standout player.
The Japanese winger is known for his quick feet and silky dribbling on the ball.
His pace, skill, tricks and flicks are what make him a spectacular player to watch on the left-wing.
He is also an outstanding finisher that has overperformed his expected goal numbers over the course of his career.
Mitoma had a spectacular 2022/23 campaign where he broke into the Brighton side and scored 7 goals whilst also racking up 9 assists in the process.
The 26-year-old is without doubt a phenomenal footballer and it will be great to see him carry over his form from last season.
Luton Town- Carlton Morris
Luton's talisman and main man is our choice as their key player.
Morris has performed exceptionally for his side over the course of the last campaign and his 20 goals and 7 assists in the Championship last season guided the Hatters to promotion.
The 27-year-old is a typical number 9 who is there to finish off chances but also create for his teammates, and he does exactly that in this Luton side.
The step up to the Premier League is never an easy one but Morris is definitely capable of performing in the top flight of English football.
Match Details
Where will the match be played?
The match will be played at the Amex Stadium in Brighton which has a capacity of 30,666.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-Off will take place at 15:00 BST on Saturday 12 August, 2023.
How can I watch?
This match will unfortunately not be broadcasted in the UK.
