English FA Cup

Toon travel to Poyet's ambitious Brighton

Brighton & Hove Albion's return to form could be timely as they host Premier League side Newcastle United at a sold-out Amex Stadium in the fourth round of the FA Cup, live on ESPN HD on Saturday from 17.30 GMT.

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After a run of four straight Championship defeats, Brighton have strung together three consecutive league victories to ensure they are now just two points off the play-off places in England's second tier.

The Seagulls set up their tie with Newcastle after overcoming Wrexham on penalties, and ambitious manager Guy Poyet will have another high-profile scalp in his sights, having disposed of the Magpies' North East rivals Sunderland in the Carling Cup in August.

Indeed, in a week when Brighton were linked with Manchester United striker Michael Owen, Poyet has talked up his side's rise, after they achieved promotion as champions of League One last season.

"When we are being linked to those kind of players it looks like we are in a good place," Poyet said. "It shows how far Brighton have come. It would be a dream for this football club to have Michael Owen but it's not true."

Newcastle, for whom Owen played for four years, defeated Blackburn in the third round in a game that saw Hatem Ben Arfa net a wonderful individual goal, and their boss, Alan Pardew, is not taking this weekend's tie lightly.

"It's a difficult game," Pardew told BBC Radio Newcastle. "Fans mustn't underestimate them - at home, they're a force. Brighton will pass the ball, keep it, make us work, and if we feel we can play 90 per cent there and win, we'll be badly mistaken."

Pardew has this week taken his charges to a training camp in Tenerife in a bid to revitalise the team after their emphatic 5-2 loss against Fulham last time out. He said: "We're refreshed, and I expect to see a reaction to the second half at Fulham."

Brighton player to watch: Kazenga LuaLua.
The 21-year-old winger faces a fitness fight to be available to play against his ex-club due to hamstring trouble, but one would imagine he will strain every sinew to ensure he can be called upon by Poyet. LuaLua, the younger brother of Lomana, left St James' Park for the South Coast on a number of loan deals before making the move permanent in December 2011. The Congolese winger boasts bags of pace and trickery while he is handy from dead-ball situations - look out for his spectacular goalscoring celebration should he find the back of the net.

Newcastle player to watch: Danny Guthrie.
That the Ivory Coast opened their African Nations Cup campaign with a triumph will have likely pleased Guthrie, for the midfielder has deputised excellently in the void left by Cheik Tiote, and, unlike his Senegalese counterparts, his return will not be a premature one. Guthrie - who, just like his rival for a starting berth Tiote, has a decent engine - scored a terrific goal in his side's 5-2 defeat at Fulham while his combative nature helped the Magpies to a 1-0 victory over QPR. He will indeed be looking to put in another telling display this weekend in a bid to further impress Pardew.

Key Battle: Vicente Rodriguez v Yohan Cabaye.
Like LuaLua, Vicente is considered a doubt for this weekend's game, but Poyet is keen to give the Spaniard, who signed for Brighton from Valencia in the summer, every chance to be available. The Uruguayan said: "The idea with Vicente is that he has real quality. He is also the most experienced in this squad and in terms of the level he has played at, he is the best. It would be great if we could have him." If (and it is a big if) fit, Vicente will come against another creative player in the shape of Cabaye, who has been a tremendous signing for the Magpies since he arrived from Lille for £4.8 million, scoring twice and notching as many assists.

Trivia: Brighton manager Gus Poyet's two semi-final goals for Chelsea denied Newcastle a third successive FA Cup final appearance in 2000.

Stats: Newcastle have won none of their last eight FA Cup matches away from home.

Odds: Brighton (3.75), Newcastle (2.00) and the draw (3.40) are on offer with bet365 while Kazenga LuaLua to score against his former club is 5.00.

Prediction: Pardew is right to be wary of Brighton and has admitted he would settle for a draw. So, with this in mind, a replay could beckon for these two sides.

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