Wolverhampton Wanderers arrive at the Amex Stadium on May 9 already confirmed in the Championship for next season, sitting bottom of the Premier League table with 18 points from 35 games. Brighton, locked into eighth place on 50 points with two fixtures remaining, have no realistic path to European football from here. The league table has settled on both ends of this particular subplot. What remains is a question of professional standards, closing form, and which side ends the season with something to show for the final stretch.
What’s at stake
Brighton sit eighth on 50 points, 14 points behind third-place Manchester United with just two games left. A top-seven finish, and any European qualification that might come with it, is mathematically out of reach. Wolves are confirmed in the relegation zone, ranked 20th on 18 points with a goal difference of minus 38 (25 scored, 63 conceded). With the Championship beckoning, Vitor Pereira’s side has nothing concrete riding on this result in the standings.
For Brighton, finishing eighth rather than slipping to ninth or tenth is still a point of competitive pride, and Fabian Hurzeler’s squad will want to carry positive momentum into the final day. For Wolves, avoiding a heavy defeat and showing some fight in front of what will be a strong away following matters for player confidence heading into an uncertain summer of potential squad rebuilding.
How they got here
Brighton’s last five in the Premier League reads W-W-D-W-L. They beat Liverpool 2-1 at home in late March, followed that with a 2-0 win at Burnley and a 2-2 draw at Tottenham, then dismantled Chelsea 3-0 at the Amex on April 21. The one blemish was a 3-1 defeat at Newcastle on May 2. Their standing form code is listed as LWDWW. Wolves, meanwhile, have gone D-L-L-L-D across their last five. After a 2-2 draw at Brentford in mid-March, they were beaten 4-0 at West Ham, 3-0 at Leeds, and 1-0 at home by Tottenham, with a 1-1 draw against Sunderland their only point from those five outings.
Brighton’s 50 points leaves them eight behind sixth-place and well clear of the bottom half. Wolves’ 18 points puts them four adrift of 19th, compounding the scale of a season that produced just 3 wins from 35 league games. The gap between these two sides on the table is 32 points, which tells most of the story.
Key battle to watch
Brighton’s midfield control will be the central dynamic here. Against a Wolves side that has conceded 63 goals this season and failed to score in three of their last five league matches, the Seagulls’ ability to move the ball quickly through the center of the park and stretch a depleted visiting defense will determine the tempo of the game. If Wolves can stay compact and frustrate Brighton’s build-up in the first half, they have shown in the head-to-head record that they are capable of holding a result, including a 1-1 draw at Molineux back in October 2025. Brighton’s defensive shape will also be worth watching: they have conceded 42 goals this season, and Hurzeler will want a clean sheet to close out a campaign that has had real highlights.
Key Stats
Our Prediction
Brighton’s home form and the gulf in current quality between these two sides point heavily toward a comfortable Seagulls win. Wolves have not won any of their last four away fixtures and have scored just once in their last four league games total. Hurzeler’s side should control possession and create enough chances to win without too much difficulty, though the exact margin will depend on whether Wolves can stay organized for 45 minutes before the game opens up.