Brighton vs Chelsea Match Preview: Analysis, team stats and predictions

Monday night football resumes on Monday, 14th of September 2020 as Chelsea Football Club travel to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton & Hove Albion in the final game of Match Day 1.

Both teams have already met a couple of days before the start of the new campaign and it ended in a 1 – 1 draw but with all the money spent already this season, Chelsea would aim to avoid a repeat of such on their opening match of this campaign.

In the wake of Chelsea’s visit to the Amex stadium, Frank Lampard has also hit out at Jurgen Klopp’s criticism of Chelsea’s spending adding that Klopp was just trying to defend Liverpool’s lack of summer signings. Lampard also stated that it was the Reds’ previous recruitment drives that have propelled the Anfield club back to the top.

Chelsea have spent more than £200m on new recruits in the summer as Lampard starts his rebuilding project at Stamford Bridge.

Team news

Brighton could hand Adam Lallana, Joel Veltman, and Ben White their Premier League debut on Monday night football. Lallana and Veltman were signed from Liverpool and Ajax respectively during the summer, while centre-back White is back on the south coast following a successful loan spell with Leeds.

Christian Walton and Florin Andone, however, are out due to an ankle and knee injury and are unavailable to Graham Potter.

Chelsea‘s new signing Hakim Ziyech will miss out due to a knee injury.

Ben Chilwell is also not ready to feature after a heel concern, while Thiago Silva is also facing fitness concerns ahead of the trip to the Amex Stadium.

Cesar Azpilicueta and Christian Pulisic are in contention.

Stats and facts heading into the match (Backed by Opta)

• Brighton have failed to win any of their six Premier League encounters with Chelsea, losing five times and scoring just two goals in the process (D1).
• Chelsea have never lost against Brighton in league competition, winning nine and drawing one. The Blues have faced Brighton more times without ever losing than they have against any other side in their league history.
• Chelsea have lost two of their last three season openers in the Premier League (W1), this after going 18 consecutive campaigns without defeat on the opening matchday between 1999-00 and 2016-17.
• This is the third time Chelsea are starting a Premier League campaign on a Monday, with the Blues going on to win the title on the previous two occasions (2014-15 and 2016-17).
• Brighton have won just three of their 18 Premier League matches in 2020 (D9 L6), the fewest of any current side.
• Chelsea shipped 54 Premier League goals last season, their most in a season since 1996-97 (55) and their tally of just nine clean sheets was their joint-lowest ever in a Premier League campaign, along with 1996-97 and 2015-16.

Prediction

Brighton & Hove 1 – 3 Chelsea