Premier League: Leeds and Brighton Duel for the Top Spot Bragging Rights

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Leeds United

It wasn’t too long ago when Leeds were fighting for their Premier League lives and this fixture against Brighton last May was one of their turning points.

Jesse Marsch’s men were about to lose which would’ve put them in such a precarious position at the table since they were down 1-0 late, but Pascal Struijk’s added time goal rescued a point for Leeds and they went on to secure another season in top-flight with their final matchday win over Brentford.

Fast forward to today, Leeds and Brighton meet again and both are in superb form. Given their strong starts, the Whites and the Seagulls are in the Top 5 and one of them can climb to the top spot with a victory at the AMEX Community Stadium this weekend.

Talking Points

A new star has emerged for Leeds United

Rodrigo Moreno has been the man of the hour for the Whites. He’s their top leading scorer with four goals in his first three games – which is good for No. 1 in the league as of this writing.

He is unlikely to win the league’s Golden Boot at the end of this season, but his goals will be invaluable for Leeds nevertheless as they’ll aim for a top half finish – similar to 2020/21 where they were at ninth.

The Spaniard opened his account against Wolves and then he scored a brace to save a point against Southampton. Against Chelsea last weekend, he was also superb, but he got help from Brenden Aaronson and Jack Harrison.

Jesse Marsch putting Rodrigo Moreno in a more advanced role in lieu of Raphinha’s departure has worked wonders for the Whites, and the Spaniard’s form suggests that he’s not an early-season flash in the pan.

Brighton continue to head in the right direction

Pascal Groß looked spry and he was brilliant against Manchester United during the opener, while Alexis Mac Allister and Leandro Trossard were the heroes against West Ham last Sunday, and their only minor setback was their goalless draw against Newcastle.

Also, they’ve only conceded one goal so far, which was an own goal from Mac Allister – a sign that their backline has improved.

Besides their positive Premier League 2022 results, Brighton have been shrewd business-wise too.

Their entire senior squad is just worth €118-M, making it one of the cheapest in the entire Premier League. Their biggest buy most recently was Enock Mwepu last year for around €23-M, while their top addition in this transfer window is Pervis Estupinan from Villarreal for also a cheap deal.

This summer, they sold both Marc Cucurella and Yves Bissouma for a total of more than €100-M, which just goes to show how good they are in developing players and turning them into profits.

Many are doubtful on whether Brighton can replicate their top half finish last term. But the Seagulls’ future is looking bright, thanks to their top management and Graham Potter’s ability to bring out the best from his players.

History

Brighton have won eight of their last 11 league games against Leeds (D2, L1), though the two draws came during their season series last term.

Leeds have defeated Brighton in three consecutive away league games between 2007 and 2009. But since then, the Whites have failed to win in their last eight visits (D3, L5). They also haven’t scored in their last six away matches against the Seagulls – which is their second-longest run without a goal on the road in their league history.

The Seagulls are undefeated in their last eight Premier League games (W5, D3), which is their joint-longest run in the top-flight since a stretch between October to November 1981.

The Whites, meanwhile, are also unbeaten in their last five league matches (W3, D2), and a win in this match would see them reach double-digit points in their first four games of a season for the only the second time after 1995/96.

Betting Tip 

Unlike in their last meeting, Brighton are backed to win by the pre-match SBOTOP Premier League 2022 odds. They’re priced to win 1.90, while Leeds are at 3.90 and chances of a draw are at 3.45 in the 1X2 market.

The Seagulls are favoured since they’ll be playing at home, but the Whites are well-equipped to beat them especially if they’ll start the game on a great note.

But this looks to be another low-scoring affair so Under 2.75 @ 1.76 is your best bet, while Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.90 is another option to think about.

 

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