If you're a Luton Town fan, you've probably already marked your calendar for 12th August at 3pm. That's because this day will be historic for the Hatters, as they mark their first-ever fixture in the Premier League.
A vast majority of that fanbase are probably still floating on cloud nine after the way last season ended. The club have been on an upward trajectory in recent years, storming towards the play-off places in the second tier before manager Rob Edwards came to the helm and steered them to third in 2022/23.
Whilst they were successful under previous boss Nathan Jones, the former Watford manager has taken them to new heights and has achieved something Jones could never manage – a promotion to the top flight.
Having had to settle for the play-offs, they saw off Coventry City in the final and are now dreaming of 38 games at the very top of the English game.
However, their start will not be easy. It may be a day to celebrate and a fixture that the Hatters' support will relish – but that doesn't mean it will be straightforward.
They will come up against Brighton & Hove Albion, who themselves are coming into this fresh campaign with renewed optimism and plenty of momentum. The Seagulls clinched a European spot after a very successful Premier League campaign which saw them finish in sixth above the likes of Tottenham and Chelsea.
The side, led by Roberto De Zerbi, will be hoping to pick up from where they left off. That will mean delivering a harsh reality check to Luton in order to get themselves kickstarted – and ultimately give them a harsh welcome to the Premier League by taking three points.
It will certainly make for interesting viewing, though, with a variety of factors at play. Spectators will be keen to see how Brighton cope without some of their biggest players last season – Alexis Mac Allister has departed, while Moises Caicedo could be on the way out before this tie – and whether the new men are up to scratch.
They'll also want to see if Luton look like they can handle themselves in a higher division. It will therefore be one of the most anticipated fixtures of the opening weekend.
Brighton vs Luton: Who has the better head-to-head record?
When it comes to how the two sides have fared against each other in the past, it's actually quite a close contest. Brighton have a narrow lead in terms of overall victories, but only by one win.
Should the Hatters pull off an excellent opening-day win over the Seagulls, they would pull level in terms of the head-to-head stats. There has been no side that has run away with more wins here – it's been pretty much you win one, I win one throughout the seasons for both clubs.
Brighton wins: 24 Draws: 16 Luton wins: 23 Brighton vs Luton: Who has more wins on the south coast?
If you're a Luton fan who wants a victory at the Amex Stadium in this fixture, then turn away now. If you look at how Brighton have fared on their home territory over the years against the Hatters, there's been a complete dominance.
The away side has won only three of the games played when the Seagulls are the home team, and only eight of those fixtures have been draws. Brighton have walked away with three points in over half of the games between the two teams.
Brighton wins: 21 Draws: 8 Luton wins: 3 Brighton vs Luton: Who has more wins at Kenilworth Road?
When you take a look at the fixtures at Kenilworth Road, though, the stats flip on their head. The dominance in this game passes over to Luton, with home advantage clearly a key thing in this clash in the past.
Like the Hatters, Brighton have won only three times on their travels to Luton's ground, with the Seagulls losing 20 of 31 games. The reverse fixture may be something Hatters' supporters should be looking forward to a little bit more based on these figures, but they'll have to wait until the end of January for that.
Luton wins: 20 Draws: 8 Brighton wins: 3 Brighton vs Luton: Who has the better cup record?
Even in the cup competitions, it has often been hard to separate these two teams. Again, Brighton have a slight advantage in terms of their head-to-head record, with two wins to one.
However, the vast majority of these fixtures have gone the distance as a stalemate. Both of their most recent cup ties against each other – back in the 2008/09 Football League Trophy – ended in draws. If these two come up against each other in the FA Cup or Carabao Cup this year, perhaps bank on extra-time and/or penalties being required.
Brighton wins: 2 Draws: 4 Luton wins: 1 Brighton vs Luton: What were the last five meetings?
17th February 2009 – Luton 1-1 Brighton: We have to go back 14 years for the last time these two sides came face-to-face and it was a completely different environment. As they were both lower down the pyramid, the teams came up against each other in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, with the final result ending all square.
Tom Craddock opened the scoring for Luton early on, only for Nicky Forster to equalise 18 minutes later. The game went all the way to penalties, with the Hatters coming out on top 4-3, winning the Southern area final before beating Scunthorpe United at Wembley.
20th January 2009 – Brighton 0-0 Luton: The first leg in this fixture was another that ended all-square – leaving everything down to the aforementioned tie. Despite having home advantage in this one, the Seagulls couldn't find the back of the net and just over 6,000 people had to watch as the clash ended in a stalemate.
12th April 2008 – Luton 1-2 Brighton: The last league fixture between these two teams came 15 years ago and was all the way down in League One – showing how far these two sides have come since then.
It was the home side who took the lead here through a Sam Parkin effort early in the second half, but the Seagulls were quick to respond through an equaliser courtesy of Ian Westlake. Eight minutes later, a certain Glenn Murray bagged the winner and sent all three points to Brighton.
3rd November 2007 – Brighton 3-1 Luton: This fixture was a bit more of a comfortable victory for Brighton. They poked in front just before the half-time whistle, with Bas Savage giving them the advantage.
They added to it through a Nicky Forster strike in the second half, before David Edwards gave Luton some late hope of a potential equaliser. Another Forster effort ensured they claimed all three points in this third-tier clash.
25th March 2006 – Brighton 1-1 Luton: Rounding out their last five fixtures is this clash at the Withdean Stadium from 2006. It ended with the points being shared in this league tie – which means Luton have not won any of their last five meetings between the two teams.
It was the home side who took the lead, with Gifton Noel-Williams finding the back of the net in the 18th minute. The Hatters had to rely on a Paul McShane own goal well into the second half to get something out of this game. Brighton were relegated come the end of the campaign.
Who has played for Brighton and Luton?
Aaron Connolly (Brighton 2017-present; Luton 2019): One of the more recent names to have featured for both clubs is Aaron Connolly. He still plays for Brighton now, although he has yet to establish himself under De Zerbi and has been linked to Hull City. Still, he has nearly 45 Premier League outings to his name with the Seagulls, scoring five goals along the way.
His spell with Luton came at the beginning of his career. He was sent out on loan to the Hatters in 2019 and played twice for them in League One, as they were promoted as champions.
Glen Rea (Brighton 2013-2016; Luton 2016-present): Glen Rea was a youngster with the Seagulls, beginning his career as a 19-year-old but ultimately never wearing the blue and white stripes for them in the league.
When Brighton were in the Championship, he was never given the opportunity to play and was ultimately sent on loan. One of those spells was to the Hatters, who liked what they saw from him during that short-term stint and snapped him up permanently.
He's been with the club ever since and still plays for them now, although his game time with the Hatters has begun to dry up, spending the second half of last season at Cheltenham Town.
Paul Dickov (Luton 1993-1994; Brighton 1994): Dickov had small temporary spells at both clubs. Beginning his career at Arsenal, the Gunners sent him on loan to the Hatters, where he featured 15 times, scoring once.
With that stint coming to an end, they immediately sent him out to Brighton. With the Seagulls, he managed a much better return of five goals in eight games. It was a short-lived spell with both, but he did manage to get minutes for the two outfits.
What is Brighton's biggest victory over Luton?
26th December 1923 – Brighton 4-0 Luton: It was a Boxing Day clash 100 years ago that saw Brighton claim their biggest-ever victory over Luton. All the way down in Division Three, it was a day to forget for the Hatters as they were humbled without response in this winter tie. Fans of the club will just be hoping that, a century on, their opening-day clash isn't as much of a whitewash.
What is Luton's biggest victory over Brighton?
18th September 1982 – Luton 5-0 Brighton: When it comes to who has the bigger victory, though, that falls to Luton – and it wasn't that long ago, either.
In this Division One tie, over 11,000 people saw the Hatters fire five past their opponents. The Seagulls couldn't cope and it was an easy victory for the home side. Luton though would be just as happy with a 1-0 on the opening weekend – as long as the three points go their way.