How Brighton can cause another upset in top-six duel

Adrian Clarke picks out key battles between players and teams going head-to-head in Matchweek 36.

Team analysis - Brighton

If Brighton & Hove Albion replicate the standards they set when winning 3-0 at Arsenal on Sunday, they can cause another upset at Newcastle United.

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Out of possession Roberto De Zerbi’s well-coached side smothered Arsenal with their disciplined shape and highly organised pressing.

On the ball they also exuded confidence, regularly slicing through Mikel Arteta’s team thanks to their comfort on the ball and intelligent movement.

A repeat performance is sure to make life extremely difficult for Eddie Howe’s top-four chasing team in this key fixture.

Disrupting opponents' style

De Zerbi likes to adapt his plan depending on who they face, but his naturally aggressive tactical style does have a habit of stemming the flow of their opponent’s distribution.

In the first half at Emirates Stadium they restricted Arsenal to only 100 successful passes, their fewest in a 45-minute period all season.

When you study Brighton’s last four away matches it is clear how effective their off-the-ball work has been, as the table below shows. The number of successful passes and the passing accuracy of their opponents are both much lower when facing Brighton than their average this season. 

How Brighton disrupt on the road

Committing six or seven players high up the pitch to break up play, they have ensured all four opponents have passed less often and with lower accuracy levels than they usually do on home turf.

Newcastle must be sharp in possession to handle this aspect of Brighton’s play.

To miss out the press, do not be surprised if the Magpies play longer passes up to their front men.

Caicedo showing his versatility

Moises Caicedo lined up in an unfamiliar right-back position for the only the second time this season at Arsenal.

The 21-year-old performed superbly in the role, on and off the ball.

In possession he identified space very brightly, stepping infield cleverly on a couple of occasions to offer an out-pass for Jason Steele.

This kind of rotational movement was a big plus for Brighton when they tried to play their way through the Arsenal press.

The comfortable way he marshalled Leandro Trossard may also provide De Zerbi with enough encouragement to deploy Caicedo at right-back against Newcastle.

He could be seen as the type of athletic defensive specialist who can handle in-form Alexander Isak’s raids down the left.

Going long to Mitoma

The skill and pace of Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma will also be an area of concern for Howe, who will need Kieran Trippier to be on top form.

Mitoma is often used as an outlet by Brighton, when they choose to bypass the press with a longer pass.

In the win at Arsenal, left-sided centre-back Levi Colwill and goalkeeper Steele both pinged successful long-distance passes to him.

Mitoma, who has scored seven goals and produced four assists this season, travels with the ball at devastating speed in 1v1s.

When Brighton’s central striker drops short, hoping to drag a marker with him, Mitoma also likes to make sprints in beyond the last defender.

As shown below he is one of the most incisive attackers in the division, beating his man and pushing his markers back with great regularity.

Highest attacking threat*

*Min. 20 starts

Newcastle have enjoyed a fabulous season and have plenty of threats of their own for Brighton to worry about.

However, based on the Seagulls’ last match, Newcastle will need to play very well to get the positive result they are looking for on Thursday evening.

When De Zerbi’s men are on song, they are one of the most difficult Premier League teams to face.

Next: Analysis of Nottingham Forest