Barnsley are looking forward to their home game against Premier League Brighton in the EFL Cup third round on Tuesday with Conor Hourihane expected to name a similar side to the one that won through the previous two rounds.

Brighton have spent more than half a billion pounds in their eight years in the top flight, including more than £200million in the summer of last year which made them the biggest net-spenders in Europe for that window. They drew 2-2 home to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, having been 2-0 up, and have five points from as many Premier League games so far.

Hourihane told the Chronicle: “It’s going to be brilliant to have that team come here at Oakwell and give our players the exposure of playing top level players.

"Whatever team they put out, they will be really talented footballers. But it’s one the lads will be really exited about, and understand that is the level of player you can aspire to be and what it takes to get to that level. It will be a really important test for our lads in many ways to see where they are at compared to top level players.”

On causing an upset, Hourihane said: “It would be nice. I know we’re up against it but we want to win the game. Hope is the big word. Grimsby (who beat Manchester United earlier in the competition) give you hope. Why can’t it be done?”

The Reds are unbeaten in six games at Oakwell this season in all competitions but this should be their toughest test so far. Hourihane said: “We’ve had a good home record so far. It will be difficult but we’re going to give it our best go and the lads will have that message from me.

“Let’s go for it and see how we come out of it. If we hit it head on and go about it in a right way, you just never know.”

Barnsley have beaten Fleetwood Town and Rotherham United at home in the previous two rounds, with the likes of Conor Barratt, Reyes Cleary and Jon Russell featuring a lot more than in league games. Hourihane told the Chronicle: “It’s only right for a similar team to Fleetwood and Rotherham to be out on the pitch, they have earned it. They have put in some good performances when the league players, currently, have not played. It’s another opportunity for them to stake a claim and knock on my door.

“We’ve just come off the back of a defeat (at Blackpool on Saturday) so, if someone sticks their hand up against very good opposition, you never know how quickly it can turn.”

Caylan Vickers, who is on loan to Barnsley for the season, will not be able to play against his parent club. Hourihane said: “It would wrong if we didn’t ask him a question or two but ultimately me the coaching staff and the analyst team will analyse the game. We’ve already started that process of course. It’s something we can use. We can use Caylan’s ideas and our own eyes as well.”

The Seagulls’ manager Fabian Hürzeler is the youngest in the top four tiers of English football with Barnsley’s Conor Hourihane the third youngest.

US-born and German-raised Hurzeler, 32, moved to England last year after taking German club St Pauli to the top flight.

Hourihane said: “It’s really interesting to come up against one of the other youngest coaches.

“He’s an exciting and talented head coach. Another astute pick up from them.

“It shows young head coaches can have a really exciting career at a top level.

“It gives me hope and you aspire to be like him.”

Brighton won 6-0 at Championship Oxford United in the last round. Hourihane said: “We’ve been analysing that Oxford game a little bit. The transfer window was still open so a few of those players have now gone. It will be a little bit different. We’ll have to wait for the team sheet.

“Watching that game back, they had a convincing win but Oxford had a lot of chances. It’s something we’ve been analysing and hopefully we come up with similar scenarios.”

Barnsley have not reached the fourth round since 2009 when they lost to Manchester United at Oakwell.

The two clubs have met 43 times, with Barnsley winning 17 times and losing 16. They were last in the same division in the 2016/17 season when Brighton won both Championship meetings 2-0.

Barnsley have not scored in three meetings since they won 2-1 in Sussex under caretaker manager Mickey Mellon in December 2013 thanks to goals by Paddy McCourt and Jacob Mellis. The Reds also beat them 2-1 at Oakwell in March of that year, with Jason Scotland and Chris Dagnall netting.

Patrick Kelly is still out injured but could return for the weekend game against Port Vale.