Brighton vs Grimsby Town: BBC pundit predicts outcome of FA Cup quarter-final clash | OneFootball

Brighton & Hove Albion and Grimsby Town will be both looking to progress to the semi-finals of the FA Cup this weekend when they face each other at the Amex Stadium.

The Seagulls set up a showdown with their League Two opponents by eliminating Stoke City from this competition last month.

Evan Ferguson scored what turned out to be the winning goal for Brighton in the first-half of this fixture.

Since this particular clash, Albion have managed to extend their current unbeaten run to four games.

Having defeated arch-rivals Crystal Palace earlier this week, Roberton De Zerbi's side will be brimming with confidence heading into their meeting with Grimsby.

As for the Mariners, they are the lowest-ranked team left in the FA Cup and have caused five upsets in this competition this season.

In the fifth round, Grimsby managed to defy the odds in their showdown with Southampton as they secured a 2-1 win over their Premier League opponents.

By defeating Brighton this weekend, Grimsby will become the first fourth-tier side to qualify for the semi-final of the FA Cup.

Ahead of Sunday's game, pundit Chris Sutton has predicted that Brighton will secure a 5-0 win over the Mariners.

In his latest BBC Sport column, Sutton said: "Grimsby have got great memories of their last trip to the south coast and their brilliant win over Southampton in round five, but I don't see another shock happening here.

"Unlike Saints, Brighton are going extremely well in the league and the upcoming international break means they don't have to worry about resting players this weekend.

"The Seagulls are going to win and I think we might see a few goals, but let's give full credit to Grimsby for getting this far because they have had a great run.

"I wrote them off before they played Luton in the fourth round, and they proved me wrong."

The Verdict

While it would not be at all surprising if Brighton do indeed go on to secure victory in this clash, it may be a tighter affair than what Sutton has predicted.

Grimsby have excelled in the FA Cup this season and will enter this clash on a high following back-to-back victories over Rochdale and Sutton United in League Two.

In order for Brighton to secure a trip to Wembley Stadium, they will need Kaoru Mitoma to be firing on all cylinders again.