The title outsiders meet the European outsiders at the Amex Stadium on Thursday night, as Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the South Coast.
The Seagulls were held to a 1-1 stalemate by historic rivals Crystal Palace in their last pre-Christmas affair, while Ange Postecoglou's men scraped a nervy 2-1 win over Everton.
The circumstances may not have been as dramatic this time around, but Welbeck's 82nd-minute intervention was pivotal, as an earlier Jordan Ayew header put Palace on the cusp of triumphing over their long-time adversaries in the so-called M23 derby before the Brighton man also flaunted his aerial prowess.
Despite representing a marked improvement on their 2-0 loss to Arsenal, where Roberto De Zerbi admitted his side were simply overwhelmed for 90 minutes, a Selhurst Park point left Brighton ninth in the table on account of a three-game winless run in the division, although they cannot be plunged any further down the rankings before kickoff.
The temporary absence of Europa League football for a couple of months will be an incredibly welcome sight for De Zerbi and his coaching staff, who have only masterminded two Premier League wins from the Seagulls' last 12 matches as they become accustomed to juggling domestic and continental commitments.
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