Key events
Enock Mwepu: Brighton have Zambia flags up in their dressing-room in tribute to their former team-mate and arrive out for their warm-up wearing T-shirts in homage. “CHAMBISHI TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE,” they say on the front, alongside a picture of Mwepu. “YOUR DREAM CAME TRUE. WE ARE ALL WITH YOU.”
Those teams: Robbed of last year’s Puskas Award for his tap-in against Liverpool, Ethan Pinnock keeps his place in Brentford’s line-up but Thomas Frank recalls midfielders Vitaly Janelt and Frank Onyeka, along with winger Yoane Wissa. Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi picks the same starting XI for his third match out of three in charge of the club.
Brentford v Brighton line-ups
Brentford: Raya, Ajer, Mee, Pinnock, Henry, Onyeka, Janelt, Jensen, Mbeumo, Toney, Wissa.
Subs: Canos, Dasilva, Jorgensen, Ghoddos, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Baptiste, Roerslev, Cox.
Brighton: Sanchez, Veltman, Dunk, Webster, March, Mac Allister, Caicedo, Estupinan, Gross, Trossard, Welbeck.
Subs: Lamptey, Lallana, Sarmiento, Enciso, Undav, Mitoma, Steele, Gilmour, Turns.
Roberto De Zerbi: “We are able to defend,” said Brighton’s manager upon being asked how he planned to deal with the threat of in-form Brentford striker Ivan Toney. “We have Dunk, Webster and Veltman, they are big and great players. We have to defend as an 11 and attack as an 11, I don’t want to put more responsibility on Dunk or Webster, because the first defender has to be Welbeck and the first attacker has to be Dunk.
“Brentford is a good team. We will have to suffer, they have a good style of play, second balls and long balls, but we can play our football and they will have to suffer as well; our skills and ability, our players, our style of play and I think the last result is not fair and we have the possibility to win the next game.
“They are a good team, they can play with five defenders or four. The last game against Newcastle, they played with five defenders, but they can play with three attackers. But we are ready to play against every style.”
Thomas Frank on his opposite number, Roberto De Zerbi: “We’ve looked at his first two games and then we look more at the manager,” said Brentford’s manager ahead. “I think he did a great job at Sassuolo, he also did fine at Shakhtar, but Sassuolo is where he did most of his good work.
“He inherits a good squad, a well-drilled team, and now he needs to put his own ideas in. I think it’s an interesting signing for the Premier League. We know what Brighton will come with. They’ll try to dominate possession, try to be flexible – we need to be able to close that down.”
Tonight’s match officials
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Referee: Michael Salisbury
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Assistants: Neil Davies and Timothy Wood
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Fourth official: Graham Scott
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VAR: Mike Dean
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Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton
Early team news
With Pontus Jansson still confined to barracks with a hamstring injury, Ethan Pinnock will be hoping to keep his place in Brentford’s defence despite last weekend’s horror show but Thomas Frank could opt to play Mathias Jorgensen instead. Keane Lewis-Potter has missed Brentford’s past three games with a foot injury but has been declared fit and available for selection tonight.
Midfielder Christian Norgaard remains out with an achilles injury but is back in light training and Frank is confident the Dane will be back in action ahead of the World Cup. Reserve goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha has also been ruled out for a few weeks after injuring an ankle in training while saving a penalty from Kristoffer Ajer.
Brighton are without midfielder Enock Mwepu following the devastating news that the 24-year-old Zambia international striker has been forced into early retirement following the diagnosis of a hereditary heart condition – we send our best wishes to him. They must also make do without central midfielder Jakub Moder, who remains sidelined with a long-term knee injury he suffered in a match against Norwich last season. The Polish international will not be back until next year.
Premier League: Brentford v Brighton
Still searching for his first win as Brighton manager following two commendable performances, Roberto De Zerbi takes his side to west London for a ding-dong with a Brentford team that has taken just one point from the last nine available.
Thomas Frank’s side were in generous mood when they gifted Newcastle at least three goals at St James’ Park last weekend and while there was plenty of blame to go around, an understandably ring-rusty Ethan Pinnock had a nightmare afternoon at the office on his return from injury for his first start of the season.
Brighton lost by the only goal of the game against Spurs at the Amex Stadium and while far from awful, once again paid the price for profligacy in front of goal. A win tonight would catapult Brighton into the top four overnight, while Brentford will move up four places to eighth if they take all three points.
Kick-off at the Brentford Community Stadium is at 8pm but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
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