Saturday's Premier League action begins at the Amex Stadium where Brighton & Hove Albion host Tottenham Hotspur in the lunchtime kickoff.
For successive weekends, Spurs find themselves needing to muster a response to a disastrous midweek result, a 7-2 capitulation at the hands of Bayern Munich which has prompted more doubts over Mauricio Pochettino and his players.
Match preview
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How quickly things can change in football. Champions League finalists four months ago, the same competition which took Tottenham to new heights last season has dragged them down to a new low this campaign, at least as far as the Pochettino era is concerned.
The Londoners are no doubt enduring their toughest spell of the Argentine's five-plus year reign, having also suffered an embarrassing EFL Cup exit to Colchester United and some disappointing league results amid a backdrop of damaging off-field noise.
Spurs stood up tall last weekend when they survived nearly an hour with 10 men to beat Southampton 2-1 and put the ghost of Colchester to rest, and similar character will be required at Brighton so the club aren't stewing on the Bayern result over the international break.
Pochettino's side have yet to win on the road this season, which may be forgivable from an away fixture list of Manchester City, Arsenal and Leicester City, but their travelling woes stretch back to January and a run of 12 domestic games without victory.
The Premier League table does not reflect Tottenham's true troubles as three points on Saturday could lift them as high as third, which is where many expected them to finish this season, and some still do although with no feasible chance of keeping up with the top two.
While many of his colleagues have dipped in form, Harry Kane remains as consistent as ever with 11 goals in as many games for club and country this season, and reports have claimed that Spurs fear losing their talisman if they do not turn their fortunes around soon.
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Brighton are six top-flight games without a win since their eye-catching 3-0 triumph at Watford on the opening day. That result provoked great optimism on the South Coast but one goal in their last four league outings outlines a familiar problem for the Seagulls.
Graham Potter has completely reversed Albion's playing style to a possession-based game but that has not yielded a more consistent return of goals than Chris Hughton's more direct approach. A tally of five goals in seven matches is better than only the bottom two.
It appears as though 16th-place Brighton are in for another tough season battling relegation unless summer signing Neal Maupay can rediscover the form that saw him bang in 25 goals for Brentford last season; otherwise the burden falls back on 36-year-old Glenn Murray.
What kept Hughton's Brighton away from serious danger was their home results, particularly against those sides around them in the table, but Potter has yet to register a win at the Amex Stadium, whose visitors this year have been West Ham United, Southampton and Burnley.
Brighton form: WLDDLL
Spurs form: WDLLWL
Team News
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Potter could name an unchanged team from the one which lost 2-0 at Chelsea last time out, with injuries limiting his options, particularly in midfield, where Leandro Trossard, Jose Izquierdo and Davy Propper are sidelined.
Murray will be itching for a recall but Maupay is likely to get another chance to lead the line, with Pascal Gross the primary creator in the No.10 role. Shane Duffy's calf problem should not deter Potter from sticking with a back three.
Pochettino may ditch the diamond formation that he has preferred for much of the season to get another attack-minded player in the team with Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura all left in reserve against Bayern.
Eriksen began the win over Southampton and is likely to be recalled in place of Dele Alli, while Erik Lamela has started all but one Premier League game this season so is probably next in line if a midfielder is sacrificed.
Right-back remains a problem position for Spurs and Serge Aurier may have faced the chop if he was not suspended, so an opportunity looms for Kyle Walker-Peters to regain his place. Ben Davies and Davinson Sanchez may also come in to the defence if Pochettino rotates.
Brighton possible starting lineup: Ryan; Webster, Dunk, Burn; Montoya, Mooy, Stephens, Bissouma, Alzate; Gross; Maupay
Spurs possible starting lineup: Lloris; Walker-Peters, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Davies; Ndombele, Winks; Lamela, Eriksen, Son; Kane
We say: Brighton 1-1 Spurs
If Spurs can get an early goal then they might be in for a comfortable afternoon, although they have conceded leads in four of their last five games to teams with more firepower than the Seagulls.
However, the longer that Brighton can keep Spurs within reach, the more uncertain the visitors will get in light of their vulnerable confidence, and Albion may fancy they can pinch a point late on.
Joe Fish
