Brighton and Hove Albion’s first Double Gameweek 33 fixture, a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, is next up on our Scout Notes round-ups.
GOMEZ + MITOMA INJURY UPDATES
Owners of Diego Gomez (£4.9m) and Kaoru Mitoma (£6.1m) have received mixed news ahead of the Seagulls’ second Gameweek 33 fixture, at home to Chelsea.
Gomez is out after picking up a knee injury on Saturday.
“Diego, he won’t be available but it’s quite positive news that it is not as bad as we expected. We have to go now week after week but hopefully it is not an injury that takes him out for months. We have to be patient now, we have to see how it all develops, it all evolves. Definitely, not a big injury that takes him out for months.
“It’s something with his knee. We made a scan and we have to rescan him in a few days to be clear what it is, but what I can say is that it’s not that bad like some of us expected it to be.” – Fabian Hurzeler on Diego Gomez, speaking on Monday morning
His replacement, Mitoma, had a whirlwind 55 minutes, scoring with a sensational volley before himself having to come off. Luckily, it’s just cramp.
“He’s good. He just had some some cramps. He felt a little bit in the warm-up but I think he had a very effective short performance on the pitch, being on the pitch scoring, helping us to get the equaliser, also had some some good actions. So, he just had minor, minor issues. He had a cramp and he will be available tomorrow.” – Fabian Hurzeler on Kaoru Mitoma, speaking on Monday morning
Yankuba Minteh‘s (£5.5m) expected minutes could be about to get a shot in the arm as a result of Gomez’s absence. No surprise that, with his two fellow wingers exiting, he lasted a full game for the first time in 2026.
Starting on the left, he was switched to the opposite wing upon Mitoma’s introduction, and was a bright spark down that flank despite the blank.
HURZELER HAILS HIS SUBS
It wasn’t just Gomez and Mitoma owners who were twitching about midweek minutes.
Danny Welbeck (£6.3m) hasn’t started consecutive weekend-midweek matches all season, so he’s obviously a big question mark for Tuesday.
And Hurzeler, who has kept a very settled side over the current good run of form, also hailed the impact of his substitutes on Saturday.
“I think in general, our subs made a big difference today. Not only Kaoru, also Babis [Kostoulas], also Maxim [De Cuyper], also Rutter, also Matt O’Riley, they showed really good reactions. They brought in a lot of energy, a lot of positivity, and that’s what we need as a team.” – Fabian Hurzeler
Does he introduce some of these names from the start in midweek, not just as a reward for their performances but also to bring the fresh “energy” he mentioned above?
Georginio Rutter (£5.6m) is probably at the front of the queue, as not just a potential Welbeck stand-in but also an option on the right, after Gomez was ruled out. The Dutchman lashed in Brighton’s late equaliser on Saturday.
MORE POINTS-DODGING FROM WELBECK + HINSHELWOOD AS GROSS + VAN HECKE DELIVER
A week after some teeth-gnashingly frustrating near-misses against Burnley, Welbeck and Jack Hinshelwood (£5.1m) were at it again.
Welbeck should have scored with a set-piece header, while the two of them were involved in the incident that saw Micky van de Ven (£4.4m) almost put through his own net. Hinshelwood denied an assist, Welbeck denied a tap-in. The budget Brighton midfielder then headed agonisingly wide on the stroke of half-time.
Pascal Gross (£5.5m) owners were the real winners. He provided the assist for Mitoma’s stunner, while his game-high tally of four chances created helped him secure maximum bonus points.
Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.6m) also salvaged a tidy score from the jaws of a blank. Despite a clean sheet bust, he bagged DefCon points (the only Seagull to do so) and an assist for Rutter.
There’s little doubt about these two starting in midweek, too.
XAVI THE STAR AS SPURS SHOW GLIMMERS OF LIFE
It wasn’t perfect from Spurs. Problems still exist that Roberto De Zerbi has to solve. Dominic Solanke (£7.2m) was sub-par again. The right-wing position remains a problem one, with Randal Kolo Muani (£6.9m) again unconvincing and hooked early.
But this was considerably better. The best (domestic) performance for a while, in fact. Were it not for a late lapse from Kevin Danso (£4.2m), who had been good until that gaffe, they’d have had three points in the bag.
The return of Rodrigo Bentancur (£5.2m), a calming presence, was not insignificant. Even Conor Gallagher (£5.0m) looked good, playing in the most advanced central midfield role. He registered more penalty box touches (10) than anyone else. Pedro Porro (£5.1m) also got forward well, nodding in Spurs’ opener and seeing another lashed effort tipped over.
But central to the improved display was Xavi Simons (£6.5m). Starting nominally on the left but drifting infield, he was at the heart of most of Spurs’ attacking play.
Setting up Porro’s goal with a tidy chip, he saw an early shot deflect narrowly wide, hit the post with a huge 41st-minute chance, nearly claimed another assist for a Joao Palhinha (£5.5m) effort, and finally found the net with a superb strike in the 77th minute. There was nearly even another assist in stoppage time for Archie Gray (£4.8m).
Above: The xGI of Spurs players in Gameweek 33
“He played very well. A great game. I think he can play better and better, because a player like this, he needs to feel confidence from the manager. And I stay here to transfer all the confidence he needs. Because [when] I was a player, I was number 10, and I think I know what he thinks, because I thought the same when I was a player. I think I’m lucky to have this player on my team, but also he’s lucky because with number 10, I can understand better than other coaches.” – Roberto De Zerbi on Xavi Simons
Having a manager who believes in him surely helps his cause after a stop-start season. With sorry Wolves up next, might even Gameweek 34 Free Hitters be interested?
Finally, a boost to see James Maddison‘s (£6.8m) name in a matchday squad for the first time this season. He didn’t make it on the field, however, and it might be some time before he’s troubling a starting XI.
