Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton meet at the Amex Stadium on Saturday as both sides look anxiously over their shoulders at the relegation zone after nine games.
The hosts find themselves in 16th place, while Everton are one point behind in 17th, making this encounter a crucial one as both teams look to get an early upper hand in the battle for survival.
Match preview
© ReutersFollowing two relatively successful Premier League campaigns under Chris Hughton, some might say that the club's near escape from relegation in May and subsequent appointment of a Graham Potter as manager could be demonstrative of a Brighton side which has come to the end of a cycle of sorts.
Despite a strong core comprising players like Lewis Dunk, Pascal Gross, Davy Propper and Glenn Murray, Brighton must find something that goes above and beyond what they have relied on so far if they are to stay up.
Perhaps a blueprint for how Brighton can stay above water lies with their last home game, a 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, which saw the Seagulls blow Mauricio Pochettino's side away with ruthless counter-attacking aggression.
Specifically, the strike duo of new signing Neal Maupay and youngster Aaron Connolly, who netted a brace against Spurs, looks like an attacking combination capable of giving Brighton something they did not have last season.
The pair will be expected to deliver in games like the one on Saturday - at home against a team battling it out at the bottom and whose defence has looked unreliable so far this term.
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While Brighton fans may have expected this season - their third since promotion to the Premier League - to be difficult, the Everton faithful will be feeling deeply frustrated with their team's demise this term.
Following an excellent transfer window during which the Toffees signed Moise Kean, Andre Gomes, Fabian Delph, Alex Iwobi, Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Djibril Sidibe for a combined total of £107m, many wondered whether Marco Silva's side could challenge the top six.
The reality has been far more depressing, with Everton losing five of their opening nine league games and failing to win a game away from home in the league since August.
A feeling of anger has mounted among the club's support towards the continued failure of Silva's side, despite the litany of talent on hand, to exercise control over games and generate meaningful attacking movements on a consistent basis.
This Everton team can offer a lot more - a notion understood by players and fans alike - and the trip to Brighton represents a chance for the Merseyside team to make a statement with its new crop of players.
Recent Brighton & Hove Albion form: DDLLWL
Recent Everton form: LLWLLW
Team News
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Brighton are guaranteed to be without Jose Izquierdo and Bernardo, with both players set to be out for at least another month due to knee injuries.
Midfielder and new signing Aaron Mooy misses out as well after the Australian picked up a red card during last weekend's 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.
For Everton, Silva faces a wait until the last minute to determine the fitness of Delph, while Morgan Schneiderlin looks primed for a return to action.
However, it seems unlikely that the Everton boss will use Yerry Mina, who has returned from a knee injury, given that the defender only started training with the main group on Tuesday.
The trip to the coast is likely to come too early for striker Cenk Tosun as well, while new signing Gbamin is out until the New Year following surgery on a thigh injury.
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Ryan; Montoya, Webster, Dunk, Burn; Propper, Gross, Stephens, March; Maupay, Connolly
Everton possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Holgate, Digne; Gomes, Davies; Richarlison, Iwobi, Bernard; Calvert-Lewin
We say: Brighton 1-0 Everton
Expect a game of fine margins, with both teams placing primary emphasis on not conceding - the base level requirement for any team near the relegation zone.
The current good form of Maupay and Connolly, combined with Everton's poor record away from home this season, renders Brighton slight favourites for this encounter.
Leo Nieboer
