Coventry City vs Brighton & Hove Albion - prediction, team news, lineups

By Ben Knapton | 11 Sep 2026 09:23, Last updated: 11 Sep 2026 09:50

Tenth and 20th square off in Sunday's Premier League tussle at the CBS Arena, where basement boys Coventry City host mid-table Brighton & Hove Albion at 2pm.

Frank Lampard's men remain winless and goalless after their 1-0 loss to Manchester City, while the Seagulls drew 1-1 with Leeds United in gameweek three.

Now one of just two Premier League sides still waiting to collect their first Premier League point of the season - alongside established top-flight side Fulham - Coventry have a 107-year club worst to avoid on home soil this weekend.

Only in the 1919-20 season - which just so happened to be their first campaign in the English Football League - have Coventry started a term with four consecutive losses, but the CBS faithful ought to have left the Etihad last weekend with a renewed sense of optimism.

Erling Haaland's header settled the matchweek three clash in Man City's favour, but Lampard's side forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a handful of strong saves, while also nearly forcing the Italy international into a calamitous own goal.

However, nearly moments do not put points on the board for Coventry, who are also still searching for their first clean sheet of the season in any tournament after getting the better of Plymouth Argyle 4-2 in the EFL Cup second round.

The omens are not disastrous for the home side, though, as the only team to ever lose each of their first four Premier League games of a season without scoring - the 2017-18 Crystal Palace crop - finished comfortably in mid-table in 11th place.

Currently smack-bang in the middle of the Premier League standings, Brighton's early-season results have been nothing but a mixed bag, with one win, one loss and one draw on their record heading into gameweek four.

Following the chaos of their opening 4-0 crushing of Aston Villa and 4-3 reverse to Chelsea - either side of a 4-0 Conference League Qualifying win over Tromso - Brighton and Leeds United played out a more low-key affair on September 5, when Jayden Bogle's opener was cancelled out by defensive goal machine Luka Vuskovic.

The centre-back's header - already his 18th senior career club goal at the age of just 19 - ensured that the Seagulls would just about cling onto a top-half spot in the table, above Manchester United and Sunderland courtesy of a superior goal difference.

The Red Devils await Brighton next week in the EFL Cup, but Fabian Hurzeler's immediate concern is reversing a worrying road trend, as the visitors have been beaten in each of their last three Premier League away fixtures.

Not since the pre-lockdown days of 2019 have Brighton lost four consecutive top-flight away matches, though, and the Seagulls eased to a 3-1 win during their most recent battle with Coventry in the 2017-18 FA Cup.

Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:

Brighton & Hove Albion form (all competitions):

The Coventry squad will be marginally strengthened for the visit of Brighton, as on-loan Man City defender Stephen Mfuni is available once more, having been ineligible to face his parent club last weekend.

However, Haji Wright (thigh), Kaine Kesler-Hayden (thigh), Josh Eccles (unspecified) and Luke Woolfenden (knee) will not return for weeks, while new signing Sidiki Cherif is still building up his match fitness and was not in the squad at the Etihad.

Substitutes Loum Tchaouna and Ellis Simms wasted glorious chances to level matters at Man City, and Lampard should stick with the trio of Ephron Mason-Clark, Jack Rudoni and Taiwo Awoniyi from the first whistle.

Brighton's medical team have been kept busy in the early knockings of the season, as all of Yankuba Minteh (calf), Kaoru Mitoma (thigh), Jack Hinshelwood (unspecified), Mats Wieffer (knee), Stefanos Tzimas (knee), Evan Ferguson (ankle) and Zadok Yohanna (unspecified) are still sidelined.

In brighter news, Hurzeler has confirmed that Femi Azeez (thigh) and Georginio Rutter (ankle) might be involved, while Michael Svoboda's knee problem could settle down in time for him to make the squad too.

Still putting in the hard yards in an auxiliary left-wing position, Maxim De Cuyper has played 29 passes into the box and made seven successful crosses in the 2026-27 Premier League, both second only to Bruno Fernandes.

Rushworth; Amenda, Thomas, Pinnock; Van Ewijk, Grimes, Onyeka, Dasilva; Rudoni, Mason-Clark; Awoniyi

Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:

Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Dunk, Vuskovic, Boscagli; Gross, Ayari; Gomez, Yalcouye, De Cuyper; Kostoulas

The elusive first Premier League goal is undoubtedly coming for Coventry, but unfortunately for them, they are now facing the club with the highest xG in the top flight so far this season - a whopping 7.4.

Therefore, even though Brighton are operating on reduced numbers and do not always convince defensively, Hurzeler's side have the firepower required to triumph on their travels.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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