High-flying Seagulls set to stay on course

Sky Bet Championship
Sky Sports 1, 5.30pm

Brighton fans, who are daring not to get too carried away after last weekend’s 5-0 trouncing of Norwich, can celebrate another Sky Bet Championship success by watching their in-form team win at Bristol City.

The Seagulls were impressive 4-0 winners when they last visited Ashton Gate in February and Albion look in the mood to take on all-comers.

Defensively they are as good as anything – and better than most – in the Championship and Brighton are also scoring plenty of goals.
It’s a healthy mix which may yet lead to promotion after a series of near-misses.

Team news

Bristol City Keeper Frank Fielding has recovered from a groin strain. Joel Ekstrand and Callum O’Dowda have recovered from illnesses but Josh Brownhill has gone down with a bug. Luke Freeman (ankle) is out.

Brighton Anthony Knockaert could play despite a family bereavement.

Odds of 8-5 the Seagulls are fair enough, though there is also a case for just backing them to be winning at half time at 9-4.

The reason for that is City have been terrible starters. Lee Johnson’s men are bottom of a first-half table – they’ve trailed at the break in nine of their 15 fixtures and just four of their 23 goals have been scored in the opening 45 minutes.

You could also be persuaded, therefore, to consider the 21-10 from Betway that the home team’s first goal arrives in the second period. But that’s if they can score at all.

Johnson selected a team with two strikers against Barnsley last week but he will surely demote Aaron Wilbraham to the bench and just go with 12-goal teenager Tammy Abraham up front on his own.

Key stat

Wolves have won two of their last 11 Championship matches

City were over-run in midfield when Brighton visited in February and the home boss will want to ensure that doesn’t happen again.

Breaking Brighton down will be hard enough. Lee Tomlin needs to show his qualities in timing his runs and Abraham will need support playing against Lewis Dunk and the outstanding Shane Duffy.

Albion, who are unbeaten in seven with five wins, have conceded only five away goals and look well organised.

At the other end they boast their own goalscoring threats, notably nine-goal Glenn Murray. The veteran frontman is 6-1 to open the scoring though all of his goals, including his hat-trick against Norwich, have come at the Amex.

Recommendation
Brighton
1pt 8-5 Betway

Bet on Bristol City v Brighton at soccerbase.com