Brighton will officially end their World Cup break this week when they arrive in London with the goal of getting one step closer to winning their first-ever major trophy.
The Seagulls have become Premier League regulars after several years of growth, so winning that elusive trophy is undoubtedly the next step for the South Coast team.
Prior to the extraordinary events of Qatar 2022, Brighton fell to a 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa, who they had also faced in a 2-2 friendly draw earlier this month. After victories over Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers in their previous two league games, that loss did a little bit to dampen spirits.
Additionally, Roberto De Zerbi’s team defeated Premier League champions Arsenal in the third round of the EFL Cup with Tariq Lamptey scoring the game-winning goal in a convincing 3-1 victory at the Emirates.
Prior to their upcoming top-flight return, De Zerbi’s team is in seventh place and is scheduled to travel along the South Coast to take on struggling Southampton on Boxing Day.
First, though, they will be keen to avoid an upset at The Valley and reach the EFL Cup quarter-finals.
The struggling Charlton team, which has gone six games without a victory since defeating Stevenage in the previous round, has been far from thinking about giant-killing.
The Addicks, who are currently playing under interim manager Anthony Hayes, have also lost three games in a row after another League One defeat on Saturday, when they allowed a lead to slip and lost 2-1 to Bristol Rovers at The Valley.
Charlton were deserving of their 20th-minute lead, which was secured when Ryan Inniss headed in a corner from Scott Fraser after going close previously. However, a double from Rovers sub John Marquis midway through the second half sealed their defeat.
Owner Thomas Sandgaard recently asserted that the dismissal of former Swindon manager Ben Garner at the beginning of December was due to the former coach losing respect among his players.
The final straw which broke the camel’s back came at fourth-tier Stockport County, in an FA Cup second round replay which ended in a humbling 3-1 defeat despite going ahead early on; Charlton had already been knocked out of the EFL Trophy to Plymouth Argyle.
Both times, defensive weaknesses were to blame, and Hayes will now have his work cut out for him organising a struggling team well enough to hold off Brighton.
1×2 Betting Odds
After only recently reassembling their entire team, Brighton may be a little rusty, but ambitious manager De Zerbi has access to a wealth of elite talent.
The highly regarded Italian, eager to make his mark at the South Coast club, will undoubtedly take Wednesday’s match seriously, which is bad news for a Charlton team that is currently in disarray.
Charlton are no where close to be considered as the favourites, despite being the home side in this one. Their odds stand @ 9.10.
It’s the travelling Premier League club, Brighton, who is the massive favourite, with odds @ 1.38.
The possibility that the match ends in a stalemate, and heads for extra time stands @ 5.50.
Total goals over/under
The odds that the total number of goals score will be over 2.5, stands @ 1.63.
While the odds that the total number of goals will be under 2.5, stands @ 2.43.
