While losing Antoine Semenyo is a significant blow for Andoni Iraola, his troops looked succinct in the final third last time out against Newcastle, and they scored three goals at St James’ Park. Bournemouth have scored 13 goals in their last six league matches, finding the back of the net against the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea.

However, their main weakness has been their defence. Bournemouth have conceded 29 goals from their 10 Premier League away matches this campaign, ranking them rock bottom for total goals conceded on the road. They have kept just one clean sheet in their last 13 matches across all competitions.

Based on that dreadful record, Brighton will be licking their lips at the prospect of hosting the Cherries at the Amex this weekend. The Seagulls were beaten 2-1 by Bournemouth in the reverse fixture when the sides met back in September, so will have their sights set on retribution. Yasin Ayari had a quiet afternoon in that game, but the Sweden international has been a key player for Brighton going forward this season. 

In fact, Ayari has registered more shots than any other Brighton player across all competitions this term. The 22-year-old is averaging 2.34 shots per 90, and has landed this selection in five of his last six starts. That includes tough matchups against the likes of Arsenal and Sunderland - he managed four shots at the Emirates, and five shots when the Black Cats visited the Amex.

Amine Adli filled the void left by Antoine Semenyo on the left wing against Newcastle, making his first start for Bournemouth since the start of December. The Moroccan made just the one foul in that match against the Magpies, but he definitely isn’t one to shy away from a duel - he contested a total of 12 duels at St James’ Park, registering three tackles. 

Adli has made 19 appearances across all competitions this season, but just five have been starts. The 25-year-old looks set for a much larger role in the coming weeks and will hope to make a real impact to establish himself as a regular starter. 

Adli is averaging an eye-catching 3.03 fouls per 90 across all competitions despite his limited minutes, and has registered multiple fouls in three of his five starts. Even last season, Adli had an average of 1.72 fouls per 90 for Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, highlighting a real willingness to duel.

The Seagulls knocked out Man United from the FA Cup at Old Trafford in midweek, holding on to a 2-1 victory. Brighton put up a solid display, too, registering 13 shots and four big chances worth 1.59 xG. They were able to resist an onslaught of pressure from the hosts in the second half to eventually come away with the win in normal time.

That result made it four games without losing for Fabian Hurzeler’s men, so they have every reason to approach this match with confidence. Since the start of November, Brighton have lost just three league games, which were against Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa - three of the current top four. 

This upcoming matchup against Bournemouth promises to be a much easier one, given that the Cherries have won just one of their last 15 matches across all competitions.

Bournemouth have kept just one clean sheet on their travels this season, which came all the way back in August against Tottenham. Excluding that match, the Cherries have shipped multiple goals in 10 of their away games, including four goals conceded against Liverpool, Aston Villa, Man United and Brentford. Brighton should certainly be able to find chances here, and Georginio Rutter has the perfect chance to improve his statistics.

The Frenchman has just two goals and two assists to his name after 21 appearances across all competitions this season, but it is worth noting that all four of those goal involvements have come at the Amex Stadium. He seems to play with an increased confidence in front of a home crowd, and has landed this selection in four of his eight home games this season. He now has a good matchup to improve that hit-rate.

David Brooks is another player who will be tasked with replacing the output of Antoine Semenyo, and he was on target to score against Newcastle last time out. Starting on the right wing, Brooks registered two shots at St James’ Park, both of which hit the target, before he was replaced after 71 minutes. 

Brooks scored a spectacular solo goal in the second half, carrying the ball from deep and finding the corner from outside the box. Despite having team-mates to pass to, Brooks chose to go for it alone, highlighting how he can be quite selfish at times, which makes shots a target. 

The Welshman is averaging 3.79 shots per 90 across all competitions this season, which is one of the highest totals in the Bournemouth squad. That figure rises to 4.2 shots per 90 when playing away, where he has scored in back-to-back matches on the road.

Jan Paul van Hecke was afforded a rest against Man United last time out, as he only featured for the final 13 minutes off the bench. The Dutchman is averaging just 0.65 fouls per 90 across all competitions, which in itself is nothing to write home about, but no Brighton player has picked up more yellow cards than him. 

He was booked against Man City in his last league outing after having a real battle with Erling Haaland, while also landing this bet recently against West Ham. Van Hecke has quite a low average for fouls, but a high percentage of those tend to be cynical, resulting in a card. 

He committed one foul against Bournemouth when the sides met in September, and was fortunate to escape a booking. Prior to that, he was carded in both head-to-head meetings last season, highlighting a potential weakness against this opponent.