Brighton vs Fulham prediction, H2H and probable lineups - August 16, 2025
On August 16, at the Amex Stadium in Falmer, Brighton will host Fulham in the opening round of the English Premier League. Both teams are entering the new season with different ambitions but share a similar record for scoring, promising fans an open and dynamic clash. I'm backing a bet on goals in this encounter.
Match preview
After the best season in club history in 2022/23, Brighton managed to stay in the upper half of the table, finishing last campaign in 8th place. Much of their success was secured by a sparkling run-in — five matches unbeaten, four of which were victories. Their summer preparations further boosted confidence: four wins and a draw in five friendlies, remaining undefeated.
However, the summer transfer window was quite eventful in terms of departures. The club lost Adingra, Pedro, Estupiñán, and Barco, while Evan Ferguson went out on loan. In response, the Seagulls reinforced both defense and attack with young talents, including De Keijper and Coppola, and signed forwards Kostoulas and Watson. Despite the personnel changes, Brighton's home record remains impressive — the team rarely loses at the Amex.
Fulham, for the third consecutive season, are firmly mid-table in the Premier League, finishing 11th last term. Notably, they went 18 matches without a draw from January to May, securing eight wins and suffering ten defeats. Their preseason went well — three victories in friendlies showed the squad is ready for the new campaign.
On the transfer market, the Cottagers were minimally active, bringing in only goalkeeper Lecomte. Departures were limited to Willian and Vinícius, meaning the core of the team remains intact. Fulham's away record is notable — they've avoided draws in their last 11 away league matches, with both teams scoring frequently in those games.
Probable lineups
- Brighton: Verbruggen, Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, De Keijper, Ayari, Baleba, Gruda, Sarmiento, Minteh, Welbeck
- Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Tete, Berge, Smith Rowe, Lukic, Traoré, Iwobi, Jiménez
Match facts and head-to-head
- At least 3 goals were scored in 7 of Brighton's last 8 home Premier League matches.
- 9 of Fulham's last 12 away league games featured 3 or more goals.
- In 10 head-to-head meetings since 2018, Brighton have won just once, while Fulham have claimed five victories.
Prediction
The head-to-head record clearly favors Fulham, but under Hürzeler, Brighton have been formidable at home. Both sides are used to playing open football and regularly exchange goals, with their attacking stats nearly identical. In this scenario, a high-scoring encounter with goals at both ends looks likely. The recommended bet is "Both teams to score" at odds of 1.70.
