Kaoru Mitoma is set to make his 100th Premier League appearance tonight against Bournemouth, becoming the third Japanese player to reach the feat.
Mitoma starts on the left as part of a front three alongside Brajan Gruda and Danny Welbeck.
Yankuba Minteh features the bench and could make his first appearance of 2026. He’s been out for three matches due to a dead leg injury.
Joel Veltman starts at right back as Mats Wieffer remains sidelined due to a toe injury. Hurzeler sung Veltman’s praises, he said: “He knows how to win Premier League games… He brings calmness and maturity – something we don’t always have.”
In the reverse fixture earlier this season, Bournemouth won 2-1. Tonight, they will be hoping to do the double over their opponents for the first time since the 2018/19 season.
Cherries boss, Andoni Iraola, knows this will be no easy feat. He admitted his side will have to “play a special game to get something” at the Amex. Brighton have lost just once there this season and have only suffered two defeats in their last 18 home matches.
Embed from Getty ImagesBournemouth have struggled for results this season, but in their last game, they ended their 11-game winless run with a 3-2 victory over Tottenham.
The visitors are dealing with lots of injuries. Iraola described this period of the season as “brutal” for Premier League clubs. He said: “We are quite thin… we really notice it.”
Iraola added: “We need to add players… we are quite thin in midfield and wide areas.” Following the departure of Antoine Semenyo, Amine Adli starts on the right wing for Bournemouth this evening.
Brighton will be looking to climb back into the top half of the table with a win, after Everton and Sunderland came out victorious in their respective Premier League clashes this weekend.
Hurzeler said: “The next game is the most important… Every game has to be seen like a final.”
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Isabelle Martin
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