Albion v Chelsea
PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: The American Express Community Stadium
Date: Wednesday 1st January 2020
Kick-off: 12:30 GMT
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Assistants: Lee Betts, Adam Nunn
Fourth official: Gavin Ward
VAR: David Coote
Assistant VAR: Andrew Halliday
TEAM NEWS
Brighton head coach Graham Potter has reported no new fitness concerns.
Wingers Solly March and Jose Izquierdo remain unavailable because of injuries.
Chelsea will monitor Cesar Azpilicueta, who has been playing despite a minor problem, while fellow defenders Marcos Alonso and Reece James are not expected to be fit for this game.
Winger Christian Pulisic says he is "100% healthy" despite missing the win at Arsenal amid reports of a minor muscle injury.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Simon Brotherton: This is a fixture without a rich history but certainly one dominated by Chelsea, who enjoy a 100% success rate after winning all nine previous league encounters. Brighton's only victory in a competitive match was in the third round of the FA Cup way back in 1933.
A tough start to 2020 then for Graham Potter's team against opponents who've won seven of their last nine on the road in the Premier League.
Chelsea's latest away win saw them overcome a rough start at Arsenal on Sunday. A tactical tweak and subsequent impressive second-half performance led to their first come-from-behind win all season, while Albion saw off Bournemouth at home for their first victory in five.
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Graham Potter: "I can't comment on any change in mentality against certain opposition from previous times because I wasn't here, but we try to go into every game with a mentality and belief that we can get something.
"The top six sides in this league are at a different level - historically that's a fact. But you should never go onto a pitch thinking you've got no chance.
"We have to understand that Chelsea will come with a good side. They're a top team who are in the Champions League so that's the challenge facing us."
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
[*=left]Chelsea have won all nine of their league meetings with Brighton - the best such 100% record in English league history.
[*=left]Brighton's only competitive win against Chelsea came in an FA Cup third-round game in 1933.
[*=left]The Seagulls have lost 11 and drawn one of the 12 subsequent meetings.
[*=left]Albion's solitary defeat over the past decade in their opening league game of the year came against Wolves on New Year's Day in 2016 (W6, D3).
[*=left]However, Brighton have never won a Premier League match in January, losing five and drawing three of eight matches.
[*=left]They have have had 11 different goalscorers in the Premier league this season (excluding own goals) - only Liverpool and Leicester boast higher figures: 16 and 12 respectively.
[*=left]The Seagulls could keep successive Premier League clean sheets for the first time since a run of three in October 2018.
[*=left]Neal Maupay has been directly involved in more Premier League goals this season than any other Brighton player, scoring seven and assisting one.
[*=left]Chelsea have won seven of their past nine league away games.
[*=left]The Blues have claimed 21 points on their travels this season, a total bettered only by Liverpool's 25.
[*=left]Defeat would be Chelsea's eighth of the season, equalling their final league total last season under Maurizio Sarri.
[*=left]More than two-thirds of their league goals this season have come away from home, while 60% of their points have been earned on the road.
[*=left]Tammy Abraham's 12 Premier League goals have been worth 12 points to his side, a joint-league high in the current campaign.
[*=left]Eight of Abraham's goals have been scored away - he can become the first Englishman to score nine top-flight away goals for Chelsea in a season since Kerry Dixon in 1989-90.
