Stoke City will be seeking revenge when they meet Brighton & Hove Albion again in the FA Cup, with Robert De Zerbi’s men running out as winners last season.
Steven Schumacher will hope for a big scalp to kick-start his managerial career right at Stoke City with full vigour when they take on Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. The newly-appointed coach has led the team to an unbeaten start in his tenure, with one win and three draws, including a stellar result against promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town.
Jordan Thompson received a second yellow for dissent, which reduced Stoke City to ten men. But they held solid ground against the Tractor Boys to claim a point. The results will worry Schumacher as his side languish in the 19th spot, but he will hope for a revival of fortunes from here on.
Stoke City do not have an excellent recent record against Premier League opposition, failing to beat them in their last eight such meetings in the FA Cup. They will, however, come into this home clash with the motive of seeking revenge on Brighton, to whom they lost out in last season’s FA Cup fifth-round clash.
Roberto De Zerbi will want Brighton to go a bit further than their semi-final spot from last season in the FA Cup. Last term, they had a good run in the competition, even beating Liverpool but losing on penalties to Manchester United in the semi-finals.
De Zerbi’s men have not hit top form yet this season, as there are plenty of questions about their form and consistency. After ending 2023 with a stellar 4-2 win over Tottenham, the Seagulls could only manage an entertaining goalless draw against West Ham United.
While De Zerbi might have steered Brighton to a slender victory over Stoke City, the Seagulls have generally struggled for relevance at this ground. The win last season aside, they have drawn eight and lost nine of their 17 fixtures against the Potters before that.
Stoke City
Steven Schumacher does not have too many fitness-related troubles to worry about right now. But he will miss Thompson through suspension. There are also doubts about Tyrese Campbell ahead of this FA Cup clash with Brighton.
There are further doubts about Enda Stevens and Josh Laurent, while Lynden Gooch could be assessed before the game to confirm his participation. In addition, there are further complications for Schumacher at the back, for which he will hope Gooch comes through fit and available.
Teenage goalkeeper Tommy Simkin remains unavailable due to being cup-tied for representing Solihull Moors on loan earlier this season. Meanwhile, Schumacher will miss right-back Junior Tchamadeu, who will represent Cameroon at the AFCON, meaning the manager will look to play left-back Ki-Jana Hoever on the right flank, with Gooch on the other side.
Daniel Johnson remains best placed to sit at the base of the midfield, replacing Thompson, with Lewis Baker and Wouter Burger on either side of him. In the front three, Ryan Mmaee will likely lead the line, while Andre Vidigal and Bae Jun-ho will provide support from wide areas.
