Newly-promoted Luton Town travel to the American Express Community Stadium for their first-ever Premier League game away against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon.
The two teams lock horns in a league fixture for the first time since the 2007-08 season when they were both competing in League One – Brighton won both home and away fixtures by an aggregate score of 9-2.
Match preview
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Brighton head into the 2023-24 campaign in high spirits after qualifying for the Europa League for the first time in their history thanks to an impressive sixth-placed finish in the Premier League last season – their highest-ever top-flight finish.
Despite the departure of Graham Potter at the beginning of last season, Roberto De Zerbi has since stepped in and continued Brighton's eye-catching rise in the top tier, implementing an attractive brand of football with a young and exciting squad that has the potential to reach new heights this term.
The summer exits of Chelsea loans Levi Colwill and key midfielder Alexis Mac Allister could soon be followed by the possible sale of wantaway star Moises Caicedo, but the Seagulls have managed to strengthen their squad in a variety of departments, recruiting goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, defender Igor Julio, midfielders James Milner and Mahmoud Dahoud, teenage winger Adrian Mazilu and forward Joao Pedro. The potential club-record addition of attacker Mohammed Kudus from Ajax is also understood to be making progress.
After picking up just one win from three friendly fixtures in the inaugural Premier League Summer Series in the USA, Brighton concluded their pre-season preparations with a 1-1 draw at home against Rayo Vallecano last weekend, with Pedro converting from the penalty spot to force both sides to share the spoils.
De Zerbi and co will be confident of making a bright start to the new Premier League season as they prepare for favourable-looking fixtures against Luton, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United, and success over the former will see them record their third successive opening-day victory of a league season for the first time since a winning run between 1974-75 and 1976-77.
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Ten years ago, Luton Town were seeking to escape the National League at the fourth time of asking, which they ultimately managed to achieve as champions. Now, the Hatters are preparing for life in the English top flight for the first time since 1992 after securing promotion from the Championship via the playoffs last season.
Following an impressive third-placed finish in the second tier under head coach Rob Edwards, who replaced Nathan Jones last November, Luton came out on top in the playoff final at Wembley against Coventry City in an enthralling penalty shootout, and they will now become the 51st different club to play in the Premier League.
As many as nine new players have arrived at Luton so far this summer, but the Hatters faithful will have to wait a little while to see the fresh faces in action on home soil, as Kenilworth Road undergoes a major makeover to comply with Premier League requirements – a home clash with Burnley scheduled for August 19 has already been postponed to provide the club with extra time to complete the necessary constructions.
After winning two and drawing two of their opening four friendly fixtures, Luton concluded their pre-season preparations with mixed results in a double-header against German club VfL Bochum – a 2-1 defeat in the first match was followed by a 3-1 victory in the second thanks to goals from Luke Berry (2) and Elijah Adebayo.
Edwards is sure to have his Luton side fired up for their opening game of the new season at Brighton, and the Hatters will endeavour to become the third club in four after Huddersfield Town and Brentford to win their debut match in the Premier League.
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Team News
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Brighton are set to be without key midfielder Moises Caicedo, who is understood to have missed training this week and has expressed his desire to leave the club amid strong interest from Chelsea and Liverpool.
It remains to be seen whether Jason Steele or summer signing Verbruggen will start in goal, while Pascal Gross, Joel Veltman and Tariq Lamptey are all set to battle for a place at right-back.
Dahoud played in all four of Brighton's pre-season matches, starting three, following his summer move from Borussia Dortmund, and the midfielder could be handed his Premier League debut from the start alongside Milner or Billy Gilmour.
Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma both excelled for the Seagulls last season and they are expected to start on the flanks this weekend, while Joao Pedro, who scored for Watford against Luton in the Championship last season, may operate in a number 10 role behind either Danny Welbeck or Evan Ferguson – the latter of whom did not start a single game in pre-season, though.
As for Luton, Jordan Clark and Daniel Potts are both ruled out for "the next few weeks" according to Edwards, after they sustained ankle injuries in the friendly double-header against Bochum last weekend.
The Hatters are also having to cope without injured centre-back duo Reece Burke and Gabriel Osho, but summer signing Mads Andersen is available to make his debut in the back three alongside Tom Lockyer and Amari'i Bell.
Fellow new recruits Issa Kabore and Ryan Giles could be handed starts at wing-back and Thomas Kaminski is set to get the nod in goal, while Ross Barkley and Jacob Brown, who both joined the club earlier this week, may be selected in the matchday squad.
Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu is set to start in centre-midfield and become the first player to play in each of the top five tiers of English football with the same club, while striker Carlton Morris, who scored 20 goals in the Championship last season, is expected to lead the line.
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Steele; Gross, Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Gilmour, Dahoud; March, Pedro, Mitoma; Welbeck
Luton Town possible starting lineup:
Kaminski; Andersen, Lockyer, Bell; Kabore, Mpanzu, Nakamba, Berry, Giles; Adebayo, Morris
We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 Luton Town
Luton will attempt to frustrate Brighton and make themselves difficult to break down as they look to claim a positive result on their Premier League debut.
However, the Seagulls have the attacking resources at their disposal to cause the Hatters problems and they should ultimately have too much for Edwards's side on Saturday.
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Top tip
Oliver Thomas
