Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Stamford Bridge is the venue as Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion go head-to-head in contrasting Premier League circumstances.

Chelsea cannot catch a break as an underwhelming 2-0 defeat at Real Madrid in midweek Champions League action condemned the ‘Blues’ to a fifth straight match without a win (D2, L3). Interim boss Frank Lampard has lost both competitive games in charge of Chelsea ‘to nil,’ with the ‘Pensioners’ now staring down the barrel of a fifth consecutive game without scoring. The nightmarish prospect of a first bottom-half finish in the Premier League since 1995/96 has become real, as the hosts start this round in 11th. Having failed to score in their last three league outings despite attempting 52 shots, the Londoners could draw a blank in four successive Premier League matches for the first time since 2007. Moreover, they’ve failed to score a first-half goal in ten of their last 11 top-flight fixtures at Stamford Bridge.

In stark contrast to Chelsea’s abysmal season, Brighton & Hove Albion are on the periphery of European placings despite losing 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur last time out. Roberto De Zerbi’s men have blown hot and cold across five Premier League games going into this trip (W2, D2, L1), which is unlikely to inspire much confidence in the visiting camp. Neither will the fact they’ve only won once on their last five league travels (D3, L1), conceding precisely twice three times in that run. Adding to De Zerbi’s concerns, the ‘Seagulls’ have gone winless in all seven Premier League visits to Chelsea (D2, L5), finding the net only once in that span. On the bright side, Brighton’s only league win in 15 league encounters (D4 L10) against Chelsea was a 4-1 thumping in this season’s reverse fixture.