Brighton & Hove Albion will look to take their season to the next level on Saturday, as they come up against 14th place Brentford.
The Seagulls sit just outside the play-offs, in eighth place with eight points so far. They will have to bounce back from disappointment before the international break, where they lost 2-0 to Newcastle United.
The recently-relegated club had too much for Chris Hughton’s side on that day, where their team just couldn’t handle the pace of the Magpies XI.
They will come up against a different sort of side with different expectations for the season in Brentford this weekend.
Dean Smith’s side were amongst the clubs many were tipping to be in a relegation battle, and Brighton will be expected to come away with the points in this one.
Here, FootballLeagueWorld writer Ryan Evans identifies a Brighton XI that will beat Brentford at the AMEX Stadium on Saturday...
GK - David Stockdale
Stockdale is a mainstay in the Brighton XI last season with 48 appearances, and already has two clean sheets from his four games this season.
He’s an England C international, and considered to be amongst the best goalkeepers in the league.
A critical part of having a team that can fight for promotion is having a solid goalkeeper who can command his area and breed confidence into the rest of the defence and team.
In Stockdale, they definitely have one of those.
RB - Bruno
The Albion captain has been an ever-present so far this season, starting the first four games at centre-back but shifting over to his natural position of right-back after the club signed Shane Duffy from Blackburn Rovers.
He was named in the Football League team of the season, and was a solid player for Albion as they went so close to promotion to the Premier League.
Whilst he’s never represented the Spanish national team, he brings a lot of experience and know-how to the Brighton XI, something that can drive their push for promotion for the second season running.
CB - Lewis Dunk
A highly sought-after player, Dunk was continuously linked with a move away from the club throughout the summer transfer window, especially West Bromwich Albion.
As it happened, he put pen to paper to sign a new deal at the Amex during the week, and is motivated to make his Premier League dream happen with Brighton.
Like Bruno, Dunk has been ever-present and played in every single minute of all five of their Championship games this season.
The stability that these two players can bring to the side is a major asset to Hughton, and in conjunction with their settled number one, they can form a formidable unit that no striker in the league will enjoy playing against.
CB - Shane Duffy
The Republic of Ireland international shone for his club last season and country during the Euro's, and has since earned himself a move to one of the top clubs in the second tier.
The subsequent plight of former club Blackburn Rovers, where he signed from on the 26th of last month, shows just how good he was for them, with his partnership alongside Grant Hanley being one of the most solid in the league, despite the club’s lowly finishing position.
At 24 years of age, he has time on his side, and could form an awesome duo with fellow centre-back Dunk throughout the coming seasons.
Duffy has endured a testing start to the campaign, losing every match that he started in the league, including when he scored two own goals and got sent off in the defeat to Cardiff City whilst signed on at Ewood Park.
However, that could be blamed on being unsettled with a move in the pipeline, and his teammates not being of the ability that his Brighton colleagues are.
Duffy’s performances were better in the EFL Cup, where he scored twice in two wins for Rovers as they progressed, so far, to the third round.
He is hoping he can bring those performances to his time at the Amex.
LB - Sebastien Pocognoli
Not many people saw this move coming on deadline day, with the Seagulls snapping up the services of West Brom left-back Pocognoli on a season-long loan spell.
He’s been out of favour in Tony Pulis’s first XI, only making two appearances for the club’s Under-23 side and even being snubbed for the EFL Cup defeat to Northampton Town.
So far this season, Hughton has used Gaetan Bong as their first-choice left back, but the Cameroonian international has been found out as the weak link in the back four in spite of claiming two assists.
Pocognoli will add options for the manager, and could well strengthen their defensive line.
RM - Anthony Knockaert
The silky, skilful player demonstrated on more than one occasion last season that he has the ability to break down the defence and embarrass even the most astute left-back.
After signing from Standard Liege in the January transfer window, Knockaert scored five and set up seven more in the league, and was a major force behind the Seagulls' bid for promotion.
However, when it came to the crunch and the club needed their best players to stand up, Knockaert froze, and was unable to inspire his side to a win in the play-off semi-finals.
He seems as determined as ever to make amends in his first full season at the club, already bagging three goals from his five Championship games.
The ex-Leicester City man knows what it takes to get out of this division, as he was a member of Nigel Pearson’s squad that won the Championship back in 2013/14.
CM - Oliver Norwood
A great signing for Brighton that adds depth to their midfield options, Norwood joined from Reading on August 3.
He was instrumental for Northern Ireland as they got to the Euro's and did themselves proud when there, getting to the Last 16. He’s been a starter in the club’s last six games, two in the cup and four in the league.
Whilst he hasn’t troubled the scoresheet, he set up two of his side’s four goals in the EFL Cup win over Oxford United.
Last season, Norwood was the midfield maestro that made the Royals tick, scoring five and setting up eight league goals, and even captained the side on occasion.
CM - Biram Kayal
The Israeli international has made four appearances for the Seagulls so far this season, and appears to be the manager’s first choice centre-midfielder.
He was outstanding for the club last season, only missing three Championship games.
Despite the incredible partnership that Kayal had with Dale Stephens last season, Hughton has limited Stephens to just two appearances; one a 14-minute cameo and the other a start, with both resulting in 3-0 wins.
That triggered the player to hand in a transfer request amid six bids from Premier League side Burnley.
Stephens has since said he was disappointed that he wasn’t allowed to leave, and for that reason I cannot see Hughton preferring a want-away player over the skill of Norwood, Kayal and Steve Sidwell, so he doesn’t get into my XI.
LM - Jiri Skalak
The Czech international, who’s regular position is on the right-hand side of midfield but has been utilised by Chris Hughton on the left, thanks primarily to the form of Knockaert, is entering his first full season at the club after joining on deadline day of the January transfer window.
He may not have earned the same plaudits as the French winger, but Skalak has still been crucial for his side, scoring twice and setting up six more in 14 appearances last season.
If Brighton are to be successful this season, having the dual threat down both wings is going to be a crucial part of it, and for that to work they’ll need Skalak in fine form.
At 24 years of age, he still has time on his side and could be crucial for the Seagulls for many years to come.
ST - Glenn Murray
The most eye-catching of this summer’s business, Murray joined on loan from AFC Bournemouth after failing to nail down a first team spot there last season, scoring three goals in 21.
With Callum Wilson, Lewis Grabban, Benik Afobe and Josh King standing in front of him, Cherries boss Eddie Howe was unlikely to give Murray the game time he’d want, so a loan move benefited all parties.
He’s already banging in the goals, scoring three and setting up another from his five games, including a brace in the 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.
He could well be a great addition to the squad that needs someone to score 20 goals a season, so Hughton will now be hoping that Murray can repay him for his faith.
ST - Tomer Hemed
Hemed was Brighton’s top scorer last season, with 17 goals in the Championship, including a hat-trick against Fulham and three more braces.
So far in this campaign, he’s been given three starts and two substitute appearances in the Championship, where he’s managed a goal and an assist.
He is in my XI by default.
Sam Baldock started the Newcastle defeat alongside Murray, but was sent off controversially, and Hemed is the only other striker at the club, so is almost certain to play in Saturday’s match.
He will need to make good of this opportunity, and his club will be hoping he can too.
Brighton fans... what do you think? Would this XI get you the points on Saturday? Are there any changes you’d make? What are your score predictions? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!