League leaders Brighton & Hove Albion are the only unbeaten team left in the Championship after 10 games of the season and they will look to make it 11 without loss when they travel to Leeds United tomorrow.
The hosts are down in 16th after an indifferent start to the season and desperate for a home win.
Leeds
© Getty Images
Leeds started the season with a six-game unbeaten run, albeit five of those games finishing as draws, but their form dipped before the international break as they lost three of four to fall six points behind the playoff places.
At home, they began the season with three straight 1-1 draws but have lost the last two without scoring to Ipswich Town and Birmingham City.
Leeds have collected just three points out of 15 at Elland Road, and defeat on Saturday would make it their worst start to a season at home.
If you go back to the end of last season as well, Leeds are without a win in 10 home matches, failing to score more than one in any of those games and netting just four goals in total in that span.
Goals have been a problem both home and away this term, with only Preston North End (7) having scored fewer goals than Leeds's nine.
Just four players have found the net in the Championship since Uwe Rosler's arrival as manager in the summer - a joint-league-low with Preston. One of the players who has scored is Chris Wood, and the £2m summer signing from Leicester City has been involved in five goals in his last seven appearances (four goals, one assist).
Recent form: WDLWLL
Brighton
© Getty Images
Brighton are the Championship's last unbeaten team and also the only side yet to suffer defeat in the top four tiers of English football.
It is the first time in the Seagulls' history that they have gone unbeaten in their first 10 league games of the season, and they are top of the tree by two points ahead of promotion favourites Middlesbrough.
Manager Chris Hughton might feel that they should be further clear given the fact that they have drawn their last three and gave up a two-goal lead at Bolton Wanderers in the second of those three stalemates.
Looking at their upcoming fixtures, supporters will be confident that their team can remain unbeaten given that they travel to a Leeds side yet to win at home this weekend before hosting the current bottom two, Bristol City and Preston North End, in back-to-back home matches.
Like Wood, Tomer Hemed has been a hit for his new club and the Israeli international will be confident of scoring on Saturday given that he has netted three goals in four away games for the Seagulls. He also scored a late consolation against Belgium in Israel's Euro 2016 qualifier on Tuesday.
One bad omen for the visitors is the fact that they have not won in October since 2010, drawing 13 and losing seven in their 20 matches in the month the last four years.
Recent form: WWWDDD
Team News
© Getty Images
Brighton forward Jamie Murphy was shown a straight red card in the 2-2 draw with Bolton last month and will serve the second game of his three-match suspension here.
Murphy's absence is likely to see Liam Rosenior continue on the right of midfield, while on the other wing Solly March should again start in place of the injured Kazenga LuaLua, who is close to a return but not available for the trip to Leeds.
Seagulls trio Gordon Greer, Beram Kayal and Hemed were all away on international duty but have reported back unscathed and ready to start.
For the hosts, Rosler could change to a 4-4-2 formation as he looks to end that woeful home form. If he does so, Mirco Antenucci could partner Wood in attack.
Teenage midfielder Lewis Cook is fit to play, but might be rested given that he played 180 minutes for England Under-19s over the international break.
Leeds possible starting lineup:
Silvestri; Berardi, Cooper, Bamba, Taylor; Buckley, Murphy, Mowatt, Dallas; Antenucci, Wood
Brighton possible starting lineup:
Stockdale; Bruno, Greer, Dunk, Bong; Rosenior, Kayal, Stephens, March; Baldock, Hemed
Head To Head
Brighton have won their last three games against Leeds and kept a clean sheet on each occasion, last season winning both matches 2-0.
Leeds have also lost three of their last four matches against Brighton at Elland Road, shipping two goals in each defeat.
We say: Leeds 1-2 Brighton
Leeds will be desperate for that first home win of the season, but it probably won't come against the league leaders. Brighton are stuttering somewhat themselves, but the Seagulls are still unbeaten and might just edge this.
Pascal Lemesre
