Brighton vs Newcastle preview: Chris Hughton calls on Seagulls to redouble efforts in survival bid

Chris Hughton hopes a moment of magic or a slice of luck can end Brighton's lengthy goal drought as they scrap for Premier League survival.

Albion have been sucked into serious relegation danger after going six league games without finding the net.

The struggling Seagulls sit three points above 18th-placed Cardiff ahead of Saturday's important home game against Newcastle.

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With matches against Arsenal and title-chasing Manchester City to finish the season, Hughton is desperate for his team to rediscover their goalscoring touch.

"When you're on a poor run of defeats, it's about turning it around, and how do you turn it around? Well, the only way you can turn it around is by hard work," said manager Hughton at his pre-match press conference.

"We have found it difficult to get the goals that we need to win games and certainly that wouldn't be down to a lack of effort or a lack of offensive work on the training pitch.

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"You go through these spells and that's part of the job I do and every minute you play is an opportunity to change that.

"Sometimes that can change with a bit of brilliance, sometimes that can change through a little bit of fortune, but that's why we work as hard as we do."

Albion have picked up just a solitary point during their barren run in front of goal, which currently stands at 556 minutes.

The Seagulls, beaten 1-0 at Tottenham on Tuesday following last weekend's goalless draw at Wolves, last found the net during the 2-1 win at rivals Crystal Palace on March 9.

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Team news

Relegation-threatened Brighton have Anthony Knockaert available for Saturday's Premier League clash with Newcastle.

French winger Knockaert has completed a three-match suspension following his sending off against Bournemouth on April 13.

Holland midfielder Davy Propper remains sidelined with a hamstring problem.

Newcastle midfielder Miguel Almiron (hamstring) will miss Saturday's trip to Brighton, as will skipper Jamaal Lascelles after being laid low by illness this week.

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Opta stats

• Brighton are looking to complete the league double over Newcastle for the first time since the 1978-79 second tier campaign, following their 1-0 win at St James' Park in October.
• Newcastle have failed to score in all three of their Premier League meetings with Brighton, losing 0-1 twice and drawing the other 0-0.
• Newcastle have only won one of their last 10 Premier League away games on the south coast (D4 L5), beating Bournemouth 1-0 in November 2015. Their last four such games have all ended in a draw.
• Brighton have lost their last three home Premier League games, scoring none and conceding eight. They've not lost four league games in a row at home since January 2009 when they were in League One.
• Brighton have failed to score more than once in their last 10 home Premier League games, failing to find the net at all in five of their last seven and the last three in a row at the Amex Stadium.
• Newcastle's win at Leicester in their last away match ended a run of eight consecutive away league games without a win (D3 L5). They last won consecutive matches on the road back in January 2018.
• Glenn Murray has failed to score in his last 10 Premier League home games for Brighton, last netting at the Amex Stadium back in December.
• Newcastle's Ayoze Perez has scored six goals in his last six Premier League games, as many as he had in his previous 30 in the competition.
• Newcastle's Salomon Rondon has scored nine Premier League goals this season - he's never reached double figures in a season in the competition before.
• Ayoze Perez (10) and Salomon Rondon (9) are Newcastle's highest Premier League goalscorers this season. The last time two Newcastle players scored 10+ goals in a single top-flight campaign was 2011-12 (Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse).

Merson's prediction

This all depends on the Cardiff game. If Cardiff get beat against Fulham, a point will do for Brighton and that'll be enough. Cardiff would have to win at Manchester United after that.

For me, it's hard to call because it all depends on that Cardiff game, because Brighton need to win if Cardiff do. They might still shut up shop, get a point and be happy. The problem is Newcastle play a certain way, show they're hard to beat from the start and always nick chances.

If Newcastle play like they did against Leicester and Southampton, Brighton won't get much out of the game and it'll be tough.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1

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