Key events
It’s a funny thing, really. The standard at the top of the league is not great – I don’t think it’s controversial to say the top few are way off the best we’ve seen – but the standard below has never been higher. Every side, down to Tyler Dibling at Southampton, has the capacity to hurt any opponent.
In particular, Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen and Antoine Semenyo are very tasty indeed. Let’s hope they stay put this summer and Iraola is allowed to build.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Bournemouth might be my favourite Premier League team. I love how hard they run, how brave they are and how good their individuals are. Andoni Iraola might be a superstar.
Wolves, who beat Bournemouth at the weekend, are understandably unchanged; Marco silva, though, makes five changes after defeat at Palace, the injured Emile Smith Rowe and Antonee Robinson, Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Raul Jimenez left out; Rodrigo Muniz, Jorge Cuenca, Andreas Pereira, Ryan Sessegnon and Issa Diop come in.
Over to Selhurst Park where Palace, who beat Fulham at the weekend, bring Adam Wharton for Jefferson Lerma; Villa, who saw off Chelsea, leave out Ian Maatsen, Tyrone Mings, Matt T. Cash and Marco Asensio; Andres Garcia, Axel Disasi, Lucas Digned and Lamare Bogarde come in.
Back to our teams: at the Amex, Brighton welcome back, as one is mandated to say, Pervis Estupinan, recovered from injury, with Diego Gomez, recently signed from Inter Miami, handed his first start for the club; Jack Hinshelwood and Yasin Ayari move to the bench.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, bring in Tyler Adams for the suspended Illia Zabarnyi, while David Brooks replaces Marcus Tavernier.
Tonight’s full fixture list:
Let’s have some teams…
Brighton: Verbruggen, Estupinan, Van Hecke, Webster, Lamptey, Gomez, Baleba, Rutter, Mitoma, Minteh, Joao Pedro. Subs: March, Gruda, Adingra, Welbeck, Ayari, Wieffer, O’Riley, Rushworth, Hinshelwood.
Bournemouth: Kepa, Hill, Huijsen, Cook, Kerkez, Adams, Christie, Brooks, Kluivert, Semenyo, Outtara. Subs: Dennis, Scott, Evanilson, Tavernier, Sinisterra, Soler, Jebbison, Akinmboni, Winterburn.
**
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell, Eze, Sarr, Mateta. Subs: Turner, Lerma, Nketiah, Clyne, Kamada, Esse, Chilwell, Devenny, Kporha.
Aston Villa: Martinez, Garcia, Konsa, Disasi, Digne, McGinn, Bogarde, Tielemans, Ramsey, Rogers, Watkins. Subs: Olsen, Zych, Mings, Maatsen, Rashford, Asensio, Malen, Bailey, Jimoh-Aloba.
**
Wolves: Sa, Doherty, Ait-Nouri, Bueno, Munetsi, Andre, J Gomes, Cunha, Semedo, Toti, Bellegarde. Subs: Johnstone, Traore, Strand Larson, Doyle, Sarabia, Djiga, Lima, Pond, Mane.
Fulham: Leno, Andersen, Muniz, Traore, Cuenca, Berge, Pereira, Lukic, Castagne, Sessegnon, Diop. Subs: Benda, Bassey, Reed, Jimenez, Cairney, Iwobi, Willian, King, Robinson
Preamble
It’s not even March and already, we know who’s going to win the league, who’s going to finish second, and who’s going to go down. On the face of things, this English Premeer League season is both over and a bust.
However there’s always a however so, however: the fun in “oor league” has not, this season, been at either end, but in between. So, though we might’ve sneered had someone shown us tonight’s fixtures in August, Brighton v Bournemouth has all the makings of a terrific contest, two tough, attacking teams at the cutting edge of progress with a Champions League spot well with their ambit.
Nor is that it. Aston Villa, somehow still in the hunt – and still in this year’s competition – take on Crystal Palace, while the improving Wolves and, most particularly, the wonderful Matheus Cunha, meet Fulham.
Add to that the late game, in which Chelsea attempt to halt a run of three straight defeats, with Southampton seeking the win that would lift their points tally above the 11 accumulated by Derby in 07-08 – English football’s lowest in the three-points-for-a-win era – and that’s a lovely evening we’ve got for ourselves.
Brighton v Bournemouth, Crystal Palace v Aston Villa and Wolves v Fulham: kick-off 7.30pm GMT.
Chelsea v Southampton: kick-off 8.15pm GMT.
