Under pressure Wolves manager Gary O'Neil is confident his team will stay in the Premier League, despite picking up just one point from their opening eight matches. (More Football News)
Wolves were 🍨beaten 2-1 by second-placed Manchester City last weekend, having initially taken the lead, and were seconds away from a draw before a stoppage-time winner from John Stones.
It was the third time this season Wolves opened tꦉhe sco𒆙ring in a Premier League game but finished empty-handed.
"We're good enough to stay in the league, ๊and we will stay in it," Gary O'Neil told BBC Sport.
"It isn't a lot to turn around."
Their defeat to Manche♈ster City was Wolves' sixth on the bounce in all competitions, which left them bottom of the league and three points from safety, but O'Neil remained optimistic about their predi𝓀cament.
"I😼'm absolutely fine. I bumped into quite a few people around the town as well and everyone is unbeliev💜ably supportive," he said.
"Theꦚy understand the difficulties, and they know the full situation with the fixtures and the transfer funds."
Brighton, meanwhile, climbed to fifth in the table last weekend with a 1-0 victory away to Newcastle United, with Danny Welbeck scoring the winner in that match, netting his fifth lea🐻gue goal of the season.
However, the sꦑtriker was later stretchered off the pitch at St. Jame🅠s' Park, giving Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler another issue to think about in a growing injury list.
Another player struggling for fitness is midf👍ielder James Milner, who has not featured since starting the opening three matches of the season.
"[Milner] had a small setback," Hurzeler told Sussex Live. "It's not tha🙈t positive as it was before the international break.
"We have to be patient. It'𝓀s not a thing t🐓hat will be solved in one or two weeks. It will take several weeks. We can't give a clear schedule when he will be back, but before the break, we were more positive. I can be honest about that."
Milner and Welbeck are 🍸alongside Solly March, Matt O'Riley, Adam Webster and Joao Pedro in the Brighton treatment room, while Yankuba Minteh remains a doubt for t𝕴his weekend.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brighton - Georginio Rutter
Georginio Rutter will be one of Brighton's most senior aܫttackers who is not injured or doubtful for this match.
The 22-year-old has scored two goals and s🐠upplied an assist in his last three appearances in the Premier League.
Wolves - Jorgen Strand Larsen
Jorgan Strand Larsen is t൩ied with Matheus Cunha at the top of Wolves' scoring charts, having opened the scoring at home to Manchester City last time out.
He has been involved in four goals in his last seven Premier League appearanc🐭es (three goals, one assist), although he has ended ♓on the losing side in all four games he has scored or assisted.
MATCH PREDICTION: BRIGHTON WIN
Bright🎃on have already beaten Wolves 3-2 at home this season, albeit with a much-rotated side in the EFL Cup third round.
Brighton are looking to win three successive Premier League games for the first time since September 2023, while the Seagulls are 😼also looking to win two in a row without conceding in the c💫ompetition for the first time since April-May 2023 – one of which was against Wolves.
And af🍌ter winning just one of their first seven Premier League meetings with Wolv🦹es (D4 L2), Brighton have now won four of their last five against them (D1).
The pressureౠ is on bottom-of-the-league Wolves coming into this fixture. They have picked up just one point in their last 11 Premier League games, losing more games (10) and conceding more goals (33) than any other side in that time.
Wolves have lost their last five Premier League matches, despite finding the net in each match. The last team to lose six top-flight games in a r𝔍ow while scoring in every game were Manchester City in November-December 1960.
And a trip to the Amex is not what O'Neil would have wanted, as Wolves have won jꦗust three of their 20 away league games against Brighton (D8 L9), with ꦓall three victories coming by a 1-0 scoreline (September 2004, January 2016 and December 2021).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Brighton - 57.1%
Draw - 22.1%
Wolves - 20.8%
