From Brentford’s perspective, there simply may not be a better time to play Brighton than at this current juncture as the hosts are without a number of first teamers for this one. Lewis Dunk is suspended following his red card against Nottingham Forest and he joins the likes of Julio Enciso, Ansu Fati, Solly March, Pervis Estupinan and Tariq Lamptey as players who won’t feature in the game.

Meanwhile, Brentford are flying at the moment and they should come here confident of getting a positive result. The attacking trio of Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and the returning Neal Maupay will no doubt cause plenty of problems for a makeshift Brighton back four.

Frank will draw on the positives from this fixture last season in order to inspire his players as they took the lead on three occasions, only to be pegged back each time as the sides played out an entertaining 3-3 draw back in April.

Predictions:

🏆 Brentford double chance @ 1.83

Brighton have certainly been value for money this season, especially from an entertainment perspective. Incredibly, all 14 of their Premier League matches have resulted in both teams scoring which highlights both their attacking prowess but also their defensive vulnerability as they rank highly for both xG for (1.67 per game) and xG against (1.50 per game).

The home side have also amassed more shots on target than any other club with the exception of Manchester City. Despite the squad being somewhat depleted, there is still enough attacking talent available to cause issues for Mark Flekken in the Brentford goal, not least the talented duo of Evan Ferguson and Joao Pedro.

The same can also be said for their opponents as five of Brentford’s last seven games have resulted in more than three goals, with the Bees scoring at least two goals themselves in four of those matches. There is a feeling that the notable absentees, in particular within the midfield areas, could result in an open game and not dissimilar to what played out the last time these sides met at this stadium.

Predictions:

⚽ Both teams to score @ 1.50

⚽ Over 2.5 goals @ 1.57

⚽ Both teams to score + Over 2.5 goals @ 1.78

Surprisingly, the visitors rank really highly for shots taken this campaign, and that’s a decent angle to focus on for a bet builder, especially with Brighton’s fragility at the back. Brentford have taken 209 shots this season at a rate of almost 15 per game with only Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Liverpool taking more, something highlighted at the weekend.

In the performance against Luton Town, Frank’s side racked up a club record of 27 shosts (in their time in the Premier League), and that attacking flair is likely to continue again in this game. The absence of Lewis Dunk feels significant in the heart of Brighton’s defensive unit, and with first team full backs also unavailable, there is every chance that the visitors enjoy plenty of success in front of goal.

Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa have amassed 73 shots between them this term. Christian Nørgaard has also taken 22 himself but is ruled out through suspension. Therefore, it’s likely that Nigerian midfielder Frank Onyeka takes a more prominent role in getting forward from midfield, he’s also averaging over two shots per 90 minutes in the league.

Predictions:

🚀 Brentford to have 10+ shots @ 1.25

🚀 Brentford to have 11+ shots @ 1.44

🚀 Frank Onyeka to have 1+ shots @ 1.33