The Seagulls make the trip up to the East Midlands to face an inconsistent looking Leicester. Brighton themselves have been in superb form of late and their relatively new boss, Roberto De Zerbi deserves huge credit. His side have now won 4 of their last 5 in all competitions with the goals flowing throughout. Last time out it was a 3-0 thumping dished out in their home game against one of the better teams in the league, Liverpool. Solly March was in blistering form, notching a well-deserved brace, Danny Welbeck also on the scoresheet from the bench.

The Foxes have wobbled in recent weeks; they’ve now lost 4 on the spin in the Premier League. Their midfield maestro James Maddison has been sorely missed due to injury but may return this weekend in some capacity according to reports. Leicester were punished at the County Ground last weekend, going down 2-0 to rivals Nottingham Forest and will be looking for a bounce back performance here.

So, we’ve taken the goals angle in this matchup and, having delved into the data, there’s set to be a few. For Brighton, over 2.5 goals has landed in 8 consecutive matches in the Premier League. I find it hard to envisage anything changing at the King Power Stadium too. Goals have been flying in from all angles and they’ve been spread around the team. One particular player I’d like to give a special mention to, Karou Mitoma. The Japanese International has been in fabulous form, he’s hit 3 goals in his last 5 in the league.

He’s earned a lot of plaudits in the press and I feel he can be the man to unlock the door in this game. Brighton have been without one of their men in Leandro Trossard recently as he’s set to sign a deal at Arsenal. This makes it even more impressive how the Seagulls have managed to continue to play so well even missing one of their star players. One final word on the visitors is that they’re averaging an impressive 2.43 goals per game in their last 8 in the Premier League.

The home side arrive for this one having lost their last 4 as I previously mentioned. The inconsistency has been the story of their season, as a possible fight down the bottom of the table looms. However, I personally believe the Foxes have more than enough quality to see themselves finishing closer to the middle of the table rather than the bottom. Goals have been a little hard to come by lately for Leicester. The fact that their opponents have conceded at least 1+ goal in 9 of their last 10 matches on the road though certainly gives us the boost we need ahead of this fixture.

I’m not anticipating Brendan Rodgers side to be firing on all cylinders here but a single goal could go a long way in seeing our selection home. Harvey Barnes is set for another start and his 6 goals this season stand him as their 2nd top scorer in the competitions. The dynamic attacking midfielder can be the man to cause the Brighton backline numerous problems throughout.

All things considered, I’m happy to take the Over 2.5 Goals selection as an entertaining affair may well materialise come Saturday afternoon.

Bournemouth’s poor form continues with six consecutive losses and the team is just one point clear of the relegation zone. A defeat this weekend could result in them falling into the bottom three. Additionally, the team has failed to score in five of their last six matches, with the sole exception being their two goals in an FA Cup match against Championship side Burnley. They were beaten 2-0 by Brentford last weekend. Since the World Cup break, Bournemouth have conceded nine and scored none in the league. Bournemouth’s away form is weaker than their home form but this has also significantly declined in recent weeks.

On the other hand, Nottingham Forest has improved significantly, climbing to 13th place after a 2-0 victory over Leicester in their last match. The team’s summer signings have gelled, and confidence is high. Forest were beaten in their first match after the World Cup break but have since bounced back by earning a point against Chelsea along with beating Southampton and Leicester.

Steve Cooper’s side has kept four clean sheets in their last five league matches and only failed to score once in their last six matches. Forest were defeated 3-2 by Bournemouth earlier in the season, but they are in a better position defensively heading into this match. This, combined with Bournemouth’s struggles in front of goal, make Nottingham Forest an appealing bet for this game. We will take the insurance of the draw no bet market due to the amount of draws Forest have had on the road.

Southampton are currently rock bottom of the Premier League but all hope is not lost. They are level on points with the two teams above them and a win could see them climb from the relegation zone this weekend. The Saints should be up for this game in front of their own fans, especially after the high of reaching the EFL Cup Semi-Finals.

Aston Villa have lost just one of their six league matches under Unai Emery. The experienced tactician has gotten an immediate response from this talented group of players, and the team are now closing in on the top-half of the table. Despite the upturn in form, Villa still don’t look solid at the back. Emery has favoured playing with a high defensive line since taking over and the opposition have had some joy getting in behind. Villa have kept just one clean sheet in their last six league matches; this came against Tottenham, who have been in very poor form themselves.

The Saints have only failed to score in two of their nine league games at St. Mary’s this season. They are averaging exactly 1 goal a game at home this season, while their opponents are averaging 1.78. Southampton have also scored in seven of their last eight matches against Aston Villa at home.

Both teams have scored in seven of Emery’s eight matches in charge in all competitions. Over this period, Villa are averaging 1.75 goals per game and their opponents are averaging 1.63, so both teams to score is incredibly appealing, and priced generously when considering the weight of the data backing it up.