Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
In the final round of the English Premier League, Tottenham will face off against Brighton. The clash is set for Sunday, May 25, in London, with kickoff scheduled for 17:00 Central European Time. I’m backing a bet on goals in this one.
Match preview
Tottenham have endured a disastrous campaign in this season’s Premier League. Since 2009, Spurs have never finished outside the top eight in England, but this year the best they can hope for is a 14th-place finish.
With one game left, Spurs sit in 17th, but they've already achieved their main objective. The club will make history as the first to play in the Champions League after finishing so low in their domestic league.
Midweek, Tottenham lifted the Europa League trophy, edging out another Premier League struggler, Manchester United, in the final. That narrow win not only secured their first international title since 1984 but also ended a 17-year trophy drought for the club.
Opinions may be mixed on Ange Postecoglou’s time at the helm, but his role in Spurs’ European triumph shouldn’t be understated. Defense remains his Achilles’ heel, with only four teams conceding more goals this season: Wolves, Leicester, Ipswich, and Southampton.
Brighton have spoiled their fans with entertaining football in recent years, and that bold style under Fabian Hürzeler has paid dividends again this campaign, with the Seagulls in contention for European qualification until the very end.
Crystal Palace’s FA Cup win dashed Brighton’s hopes, meaning an eighth-place finish won’t be enough for European football. Brighton can still hold onto eighth even if they lose, provided Brentford don’t beat Wolves.
Despite a leaky defense, Brighton have no problems up front. Danny Welbeck is enjoying a renaissance, topping the club’s scoring charts alongside João Pedro and Mitoma.
Remarkably, Brighton have matched Manchester City for away points and are ahead of Chelsea. Their 32 away goals are the third-best tally in the league, trailing only Bournemouth and Liverpool.
Match facts
- Tottenham have won just one of their last three matches.
- Spurs are winless in six straight Premier League games, suffering five defeats in that span.
- Brighton are unbeaten in their last four matches.
- The Seagulls have failed to score only once on the road this season.
- Tottenham average 1.9 goals per home game, while Brighton average 1.8 goals away.
Probable lineups
- Tottenham: Vicario, Udogie, van de Ven, Romero, Porro, Bentancur, Bissouma, Sarr, Johnson, Son, Tel.
- Brighton: Verbruggen, Estupiñán, Webster, van Hecke, Viffer, Ayari, Baleba, Adingra, Gruda, Mitoma, Welbeck.
H2H
- The teams have met 18 times, drawing only once.
- Brighton have won just once in ten trips to London against Tottenham.
Prediction
After their Europa League triumph, Tottenham might rotate their squad, but with this being the season finale, I expect them to field their strongest lineup. Brighton will be out to spoil the party for the Spurs faithful, and this promises to be an entertaining, high-scoring affair. Both sides play attacking football and are prone to defensive lapses. I think a bet on over 3 total goals looks solid here.
