Less than a week after Brighton triumphed over Chelsea with a 2-1 victory at the Amex Stadium during the FA Cup fourth round, the teams are set to face each other once more at the same venue this Friday evening. This marks the second instance this season where the Seagulls have encountered the same adversary in consecutive matches, already outperforming their previous back-to-back losses to Liverpool earlier this year.
With three points at stake, Brighton aims to break their five-game winless streak at home in league competitions (three draws, two losses). Manager Fabian Hürzeler seeks a strong performance in their first league game following a heavy 7-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest. A positive result against a formidable opponent is possible, as Brighton remain undefeated in Premier League home fixtures against teams starting the day within the top four (two wins, one draw) thus far this season.
Chelsea heads to the south coast positioned in fourth place, two points clear of Manchester City in fifth. However, they haven’t secured an away victory in any competition since mid-December, with two draws and three losses. This poor run on the road is poorly timed, especially as their next seven away league matches are against teams currently ranked 11th or higher!
Since Christmas, the Blues’ performance has faltered. After enjoying a 12-game unbeaten streak (nine wins and three draws) from November through to late December, they’ve managed only two wins in seven league matches post-Boxing Day (two draws and three losses). Despite this, four consecutive head-to-head victories before last weekend’s loss indicate they have the potential to maintain their recovery, having won two of their last three league games.
Key players to keep an eye on: Since joining during the summer, Georginio Rutter has played a part in ten goals (G7, A3) across all competitions, including three (G2, A1) against Chelsea, following his contributions to both goals last Saturday. In the previous league encounter, Rutter was the first to score, but Cole Palmer stole the spotlight with all four of Chelsea’s goals in their 4-2 victory and also found the net in this match-up last season.
Interesting stat: Brighton stand as the sole Premier League team that has yet to find the back of the net within the first 20 minutes of a home league match this season.
