Chelsea v Albion
PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Date: Saturday 28th September 2024
Kick-off: 15:00 BST
Referee: Peter Bankes
Assistants: Edward Smart, Nick Greenhaigh
Fourth Official: David Webb
VAR: Michael Oliver
Additional VAR: Natalie Aspinall
TEAM NEWS
Chelsea remain without Reece James, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, though Romeo Lavia is available.
Head coach Enzo Maresca has no fresh injury concerns ahead of Saturday's game.
Brighton forward Joao Pedro is unlikely to feature after struggling with an injury sustained against Nottingham Forest.
Brajan Gruda could make his first appearance since his summer move from Mainz, whilst Yasin Ayari is back in contention after a bout of illness.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Chelsea won all three competitive games versus Brighton last season, each by a single-goal margin.
- The Blues won both Premier League meetings in 2023-24 despite having a player sent off in each match: Conor Gallagher at Stamford Bridge and Reece James at Amex Stadium.
- Brighton & Hove Albion have won just one of their 11 competitive away fixtures against Chelsea (D2, L8), a 2-1 Premier League triumph on 15 April 2023.
- Chelsea have only lost two of their last 20 league matches (W12, D6): 5-0 at Arsenal on 23 April and 2-0 at home against Manchester City in August.
- Enzo Maresca’s side can keep three consecutive clean sheets in the top flight for the first time since January to February 2023 under Graham Potter.
- Nicolas Jackson has been directly involved in six goals in Chelsea's last four Premier League matches, scoring four and assisting two. Only Erling Haaland (10 goals) and Mohamed Salah (three goals, four assists) have higher totals this season.
- Jadon Sancho can become the third player to register an assist in each of his first three Premier League appearances for Chelsea, after Eden Hazard (2012) and Cesc Fabregas (2014).
- Brighton (W2, D3) are on their longest unbeaten run from the beginning of a top-flight season. It is their best start since avoiding defeat in each of their opening 21 Championship games in 2015-16.
- The Seagulls are winless in eight Premier League visits to the capital (D4, L4) since a 3-0 victory at Arsenal in May 2023.
- Brighton have drawn each of their last three top-flight games – it’s their seventh run of three consecutive draws in the competition, while the Seagulls last drew four straight league fixtures in October 2014.
- Danny Welbeck - who has three goals and one assist to his name in the Premier League this term - has netted three in his last four league appearances against Chelsea, with all three of these strikes coming as a substitute.
Fabian Hürzeler's Chelsea Press Conference
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