Brighton v Newcastle: Opportune moment may suit Seagulls

We asked Gaurav Chaddah for his best bet on Saturday's late match between Brighton and Newcastle.

Brighton v Newcastle | Sunday 28th April 2019, 17:30 | Sky Sports

Three games remain for both sides as Brighton try to ensure Premier League safety for another season. Chris Hughton’s men are three points clear of 17th place Cardiff and it would seem the final relegation spot is between the two.

The Seagulls were hammered at the Amex by Bournemouth 5-0 and then Cardiff took a vital three points off them before shutting down Wolves for 90 minutes to gain a valuable point. It looked like they had pulled off the same on Tuesday night against Spurs however were subject to late heartbreak.

Brighton have very much been dragged into the relegation battle after a disappointing campaign which started with some promise, beating Manchester United, West Ham, Wolves and their opponents here, Newcastle. However the second half of the season has been the main downfall for the South
Coast outfit, who have won only two of there last 14 league games and now face a huge battle to ensure Premier League status. Brighton’s impressive home form at the beginning of the season was a key to their
promising start, with there record from there opening 12 games at the Amex reading W5 – D4 – L3, with losses coming to Spurs, Chelsea and Liverpool and a draw against Arsenal.
However a 3-1 home defeat to Burnley at the beginning of February has bought about a torrid time for home fans, who’ve saw their side lose four of their last five, with only a 1-0 win over Huddersfield to shout about.

Newcastle all but safe

Relegation is no longer a talking point on Tyneside, with recent victories over Leicester and Southampton combined with results going in favour of the Magpies, all but enough to ensure they’ll be playing Premier League football again next season. Speculation will now be very much about the future of Rafa Benitez, who is out of contract this summer and guided his side to the 41-point mark, 10 points clear of the drop zone.

The form of striker Ayoze Perez has also been notable, with the striker notching a hat-trick in last week’s 3-1 success over Southampton to go with his winner at Leicester the previous week. Away form will be a concern to Benitez. Newcastle have only won on the road three times this season, against Burnley in November and Huddersfield in December and the win over Leicester a fortnight ago was the Magpie’s first taste of success on the road in nine attempts. The sides met at St James’ Park earlier on in the season when Brighton emerged 1-0 winners, the same scoreline they won by in the fixture last season.

The Betting Angle

For Newcastle, the season is now in essence over whist Brighton are fighting for their lives as they seek safety. The last two games against Wolves and Spurs have brought about criticism for their style of play, which is very much been to sit in and suffer but they may be a little more on the offensive now back at home.

For Brighton this is simply a must win and with home advantage against a side who may be devoid of a little motivation, it’s worth chancing the home side at 11/8 with Betway for the crucial three points. Goals also look like they’ll be at a premium here and it’s worth a small punt on the Seagulls to win 1-0, available at 6/1 with Bet365. Brighton have won their last two home games by a goal to nil and beat the Magpies 1-0 on the last two occasions.