FA Cup: Brighton v Newcastle match preview

Alook ahead to this weekend's FA Cup fixture at the Amex Stadium

In last season's fourth round tie, Brighton shocked Newcastle with a 1-0 victory at the Amex Stadium. A year later, the Tynesiders, six-time FA Cup winners currently lying 15th in the Premier League, return to the south coast to make amends.

The Championship club ended a run of five games without victory on Tuesday, with a 3-0 win over struggling Ipswich Town, and are now three points away from the play-off positions. "We have to start winning games and change our mentality," midfielder Andrea Orlandi said last month, as they now look to claim another cup scalp.

Newcastle's Danny Simpson is set to miss the game with a broken toe, so new signing Mathieu Debuchy could make his debut in place of the right-back. Team-mates Hatem Ben Arfa, Yohan Cabaye, Jonas Gutiérrez, Ryan Taylor and Steven Taylor are also injured, while Demba Ba, who netted 13 goals for Alan Pardew's side this season, has moved to Chelsea.

KICK-OFF: Saturday, 12:30pm

PAST THREE MEETINGS…

Brighton 1 (Williamson OG) Newcastle 0, FA Cup, January 2012

Newcastle 0 Brighton 1 (Gall), Division Two, March 1992

Brighton 2 (O'Reilly, Farrington) Newcastle 2 (Kelly, Peacock), Division Two, December 1991

STATS...

This will be Newcastle's seventh match against Brighton in the FA Cup, but they have not beaten the Seagulls in 23 years.

Craig Mackail-Smith is Brighton's top scorer so far this campaign, netting 11 times, compared to Papiss Cissé's six for Newcastle.

11 of the goals conceded by Newcastle in this season's Premier League have been headers, higher than any other side in the top flight.

While Brighton recorded their first victory in six games on New Year's Day, the visitors have gone three games without a clean sheet or win.

ODDS...

Brighton to win: 2.78

Newcastle to win: 2.68

Draw: 3.65

TV: Live on ITV1 at 12:45pm, highlights on ITV1 at 11pm