Preview: Norwich City vs. Brighton & Hove Albion - prediction, team news, lineups

Two clubs yet to adhd an FA Cup honour to their trophy furniture quadrate disconnected astatine Carrow Road successful Saturday's third-round encounter, arsenic Norwich City pit their wits against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Both sides travel into the showdown seeking to agelong their respective unbeaten runs to 5 matches, but converting draws into wins remains a conflict for the Premier League outfit.

Match preview

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A week connected from controversially escaping a reddish paper for swinging an elbow retired astatine Brentford's Yehor Yarmoliuk, Brighton attacker Joao Pedro was the beneficiary of different contentious telephone erstwhile Arsenal came to sojourn the Amex Stadium connected January 4.

After going into the interruption a extremity down courtesy of an Ethan Nwaneri effort, Fabian Hurzeler's men restored parity done a Pedro punishment aft the Brazilian was 'headbutted' by Gunners defender William Saliba arsenic some players challenged for a header.

As arguable arsenic that determination was, Hurzeler's men would person been worthy winners against the Gunners if their second-half show was thing to spell by, but the Seagulls were held to their 4th successive gully successful the apical formation to beryllium 10th successful the mid-season standings, having besides shared the spoils with West Ham United, Brentford and Aston Villa.

The Premier League's stalemate specialists volition not endure the aforesaid destiny connected Saturday acknowledgment to the abolishment of FA Cup replays from circular 1 onwards, and Brighton person lone failed to beforehand from 1 of their past 8 third-round contests successful the competition, going down to Sheffield Wednesday successful 2020.

Furthermore, a roadworthy travel usually spells occurrence for the Seagulls' frontline, arsenic Hurzeler's broadside person scored successful each of their 10 distant matches successful the 2024-25 campaign, albeit portion besides failing to support a cleanable expanse successful immoderate of their past six games connected force territory.

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Also avoiding decision successful each of their past 4 Championship contests, Norwich City person been a squad revived since the Christmas festivities; they person taken 10 points from the past 12 connected connection aft suffering 3 losses and 1 gully from their erstwhile 4 contests from December 7 to 21.

The Canaries person started 2025 arsenic they mean to proceed with back-to-back triumphs implicit Luton Town and Coventry City, though their 2-1 beating of the second connected January 4 was acold from straightforward; they needed a melodramatic injury-time brace from substitute Amankwah Forson to get implicit the line.

Nevertheless, the 22-year-old's heroic involution was capable to assistance 11th-placed Norwich to wrong 4 points of the Championship playoff positions, arsenic the broadside led by Johannes Thorup question a archetypal instrumentality to the large clip since their past demotion successful 2022.

The FA Cup volition undoubtedly beryllium little down connected the hosts' precedence list, but Norwich person turned their third-round fortunes astir successful caller years; aft suffering six consecutive exits astatine this signifier betwixt 2013-14 and 2018-19, the Canaries person present been beaten successful conscionable 1 of their past 5 opening ties.

The hosts besides held Brighton to a brace of goalless stalemates successful Premier League enactment during the 2021-22 campaign, but those 2 drab draws stretched their winless and scoreless tally versus the Seagulls to 4 games since a 2-0 Championship triumph successful 2017, courtesy of 2 David Stockdale ain goals.

Norwich City signifier (all competitions):

Brighton & Hove Albion signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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Brighton's hard-fought constituent against Arsenal came astatine a spot of a cost, arsenic defender Igor Julio - filling successful for absent skipper Lewis Dunk - came disconnected with a choky hamstring midway done the 2nd fractional and is apt to miss the travel to Carrow Road.

The aforementioned Dunk was ruled retired of the Gunners gully owed to a insignificant calf concern, which mightiness settee down successful clip for the clash with the Canaries, and young versatile midfielder Jack Hinshelwood whitethorn besides beryllium fixed the greenish airy to instrumentality from a genu issue.

However, Ferdi Kadioglu (ankle), James Milner (thigh), Danny Welbeck (ankle), Mats Wieffer (thigh) and Evan Ferguson (ankle) stay sidelined, and the third-round clash is besides expected to travel excessively soon for January signing Diego Gomez to gain his Brighton baptism.

As for the hosts, fans are waiting with bated enactment to perceive the result of apical scorer Borja Sainz's complaint for allegedly spitting astatine a Sunderland subordinate past month; helium had until Tuesday to respond to the FA's complaint but remains disposable for enactment astatine this juncture.

Joshua Sargent (groin), Liam Gibbs (hamstring), Gabe Forsyth (knee) and Jacob Lungi Sorensen (groin) marque up a quartet of wounded absentees for Norwich, but nary caller concerns arose during the beating of Coventry.

Two-goal leader Forson could hardly person done much to gain a commencement against Premier League opposition, portion Onel Hernandez and Lewis Dobbin correspond alternate options successful the attacking third.

Norwich City imaginable starting lineup:
Long; Stacey, Duffy, Doyle, Chrisene; Nunez, McLean, Forson; Dobbin, Hernandez, Sainz

We say: Norwich City 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

Both encounters betwixt Norwich and Brighton successful 2021-22 mightiness person ended scoreless, but goals ought to beryllium a warrant betwixt the assured Canaries and a Seagulls broadside who tin ever beryllium relied upon to nutrient the attacking goods connected the road.

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