With their Premier League survival chances very much hanging in the balance, Brighton will be hopeful of handing themselves a massive boost in the battle to avoid the drop when they host Newcastle United on Saturday.
Chris Hughton's side sit three points and a place about Cardiff City, who currently round out the relegation places at the bottom alongside already-consigned Fulham and Huddersfield Town.
With the Seagulls simply needing to remain ahead of the Welsh outfit across the final three games of the season, they will be hopeful of, at the very least, maintaining that gap if not expanding it when they welcome the Magpies to the Amex Stadium.
Rafa Benitez's side have secured safety once more following results last week, though the Spaniard may be set to take charge of his final few games at the helm following another difficult campaign in charge in the North-East.
| Game | Brighton vs Newcastle United |
| Date | Saturday, April 27 |
| Time | 5:30pm BST / 12:30pm EST |
| Stream (US) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
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In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| NBC Sports Live | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be broadcast on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 4K UHD, while it will be available to stream on the BT Sport Live service.
| UK TV channel | Online |
|---|---|
| BT Sport 1 / BT Sport 4K UHD | BT Sport Live |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Brighton squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Ryan, Button, Steele |
| Defenders | Dunk, Duffy, Bruno, Montoya, Bong, Bernardo, Balogun, Burn |
| Midfielders | Bissouma, Stephens, Kayal, Gross, March, Izquierdo, Jahanbakhsh |
| Forwards | Locadia, Murray, Andone |
Chris Hughton currently has an effective clean bill of health for his squad, and will be looking for them to pull out a big performance against Newcastle.
Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy will be expected to remain as defensive cornerstones though Glenn Murray could start up front after coming off the bench last time out.
Potential Brighton starting XI: Ryan; Montoya, Duffy, Dunk, Bernardo; Stephens, Bissouma, Gross, Jahanbakhsh; Andone; Locadia
| Position | Newcastle United squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Dubravka, Darlow, Elliot, Woodman |
| Defenders | Lascelles, Fernandez, Schar, Clark, Barreca, Dummett, Yedlin, Manquillo |
| Midfielders | Hayden, Ki, Shelvey, Diame, Ritchie, Kenedy |
| Forwards | Atsu, Perez, Rondon, Muto, Joselu |
Rafa Benitez was dealt a fresh blow last time out after Miguel Almiron picked up a hamstring problem that effectively rules him out for the rest of the season.
He joins Florian Lejeune and Sean Longstaff on the sidelines to sit out the rest of the campaign, meaning Joselu could start up front.
Potential Newcastle United starting XI: Dubravka; Manquillo, Schar, Lascelles, Dummett, Ritchie; Perez, Hayden, Diame; Joselu, Rondon.
Betting & Match Odds
Brighton are the slight favourites at 13/10 with bet365 to take the three points. Newcastle are available at 5/2 while a draw is 9/4.
Match Preview
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It's down-to-the-wire time for Brighton & Hove Albion as they look to preserve Premier League status for 2019-20 - and avoid a dreaded drop to the Championship.
Chris Hughton's side have formed a sometimes overlooked reputation since they arrive in the top flight of English football, but their tenure may come to an abrupt end if they are not too careful.
With the visit of Newcastle United this weekend, the Seagulls - winless since an FA Cup quarter-final victory over Millwall in March - will hope to snatch a vital three points to keep their dreams of remaining at the high table alive.
With three games to go, they sit a place and three points above Cardiff City, the only team currently in the relegation zone yet to be confirmed for a second-tier life.
But a closing stretch that sees matches against Arsenal and then Manchester City round out their campaign means that their clash with the Magpies remains an effective must-win.
Rafa Benitez meanwhile has steered his side to safety once again, but the Spaniard could not be long for the top job at St James' Park.
The former Liverpool and Chelsea boss has endured tough times in the hot seat, clashing with the club's hierarchy over spending and is thought by many to be heading for the door.
Milan boss Gennaro Gattuso was linked with taking up the role if Benitez leaves, but the Serie A coach has since rubbished speculation on making such a move from Italy.
"Newcastle? Unfounded rumours," the 41-year-old told Rai Sport.
Brighton keeper Mat Ryan meanwhile also has his eye on his club's last game of the season, in a game that could very well decide the Premier League title.
City and their manager Pep Guardiola currently sit atop the summit but, if they were to drop points in any of their remaining games, could surrender it to Liverpool in a flash.
"It’s an exciting prospect to have them as the last game," the Australia international told the Players' Voice. "Any time you come up against a big team, you want to make the memory as sweet as possible by being successful against them.
"There are three games to go but if it comes down to the last day again, we know we’ll have every Liverpool fan in the world in our corner."
