South coast side Brighton can look back fondly on 2022-23 as a season to remember after the Seagulls coped with the loss of fan-favorite manager Graham Potter before ultimately replacing him with now-beloved tactician Roberto De Zerbi before the club went on to qualify for European football for the first time in its history.
With brilliant possession-based attacking football at the heart of The Amex under a manager billed as one of the best in the Premier League, Brighton is, for the first time, faced with expectations coming into the 2023-24 campaign as a side still capable of upsetting the top-six apple cart.
Though the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham, Brentford, and Aston Villa are all sure to have a say in that same discussion, the Seagulls have once again navigated the summer market expertly in the wake of losing key puzzle pieces Alexis Mac Allister and Robert Sánchez to Liverpool and Chelsea respectively.
Brighton can bank on summer additions in the vein of João Pedro, Bart Verbruggen, Igor, Adrian Mazilu, James Milner, and Mahmoud Dahoud, while also welcoming back highly-rated youngster Jeremy Sarmiento after a loan spell with West Brom. Added to the likes of Kaoru Mitoma, Evan Ferguson, Solly March, Julio Enciso, Facundo Buonanotte, Pascal Groß, and Pervis Estupiñan, the club could be set for yet another memorable campaign and look to get off on the right foot against newly promoted Luton Town.
Predicted XI
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Team News
Roberto De Zerbi could not have wished for a better potential start to the 2023-24 season after Brighton was gifted a visit by newcomers Luton Town to the south coast, and thankfully for the highly-rated Italian tactician, there are only a small amount of selections issues ahead of the weekend.
In terms of absentees, De Zerbi is guaranteed to be without Jakub Moder and Tariq Lamptey, while questions surrounding the future of key midfielder Moisés Caicedo and a potential move to Chelsea will likely see him miss out on selection here. Apart from that, Brighton will be pretty close to full strength, with debuts likely to come for João Pedro, Igor, and Mahmoud Dahoud, while Irish youngster Evan Ferguson should lead the line. Young attacking trio Julio Enciso, Facundo Buonanotte, and Simon Adingra should all be available from the bench.
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