Brighton home form a cause for concern for Chelsea as champions visit Fortress Amex

Sport360 staff 00:15 20/01/2018
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  • Chelsea beat Brighton 2-0 at home last month.

    Chelsea are yet to win a game in normal time in 2018, with their only taste of success coming in Wednesday’s win over Norwich City on penalties in their FA Cup third round replay.

    They’ve scored only three goals in their five games since the turn of the year, and have failed to score in three of those games.

    Brighton are similarly struggling for goals, failing to score in seven of their last 10 Premier League games, and have seen a promising start to the season derailed as they’ve been sucked into the relegation battle that many expected them to have to face. They’re now only three points outside the relegation zone.

    These two sides faced off in a league fixture less than a month ago, with Chelsea winning 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day.

    Here are some of the interesting stats and facts for Saturday’s clash.

    – Alvaro Morata hasn’t scored in his last three league starts – he last had a longer run ending in August 2016 (eight starts with Juventus and Real Madrid combined). His last game against Leicester was his only Premier League game this season where he didn’t have a single shot.

    – This is only the 10th ever meeting between Brighton and Chelsea – the Blues have won each of the last seven contests in all competitions.

    – Chelsea have won all five of their English league matches against Brighton – should they win this match, only one team will have a better 100% record against an opponent since the Football League began in 1888 (Wimbledon against Bournemouth, eight wins out of eight).

    – Brighton have picked up just one win from their last 12 Premier League games (D5 L6), failing to score in eight of these fixtures.

    – However, at home Brighton have lost just one of their last 10 in the Premier League (W3 D6), though both of their defeats at the Amex Stadium this season have been against ‘big six’ opposition (Man City and Liverpool).

    Brighton have been formidable opponents at home.

    Brighton have been formidable opponents at home.

    – Chelsea have won just one of their last five away league games (D3 L1), drawing each of the last two. They’ve not gone three away games without a win in the Premier League under Antonio Conte.

    – The Blues have won 44 of their 75 away games against newly promoted sides in the Premier League – only Arsenal (45) have won more. Chelsea’s last defeat in such a fixture was in March 2014 at Crystal Palace, winning nine and drawing two since.

    – Brighton have never beaten the reigning top-flight champions in a league match (P9 W0 D2 L7).

    – Antonio Conte has dropped only two points from 27 available in Premier League matches against newly promoted sides (P9 W8 D1 L0), a 1-1 draw with Burnley last season.

    – Chris Hughton is winless in seven matches against Chelsea in all competitions (D2 L5), losing each of the last five; his only victory against them came in the League Cup in September 2010, a 4-3 win at Stamford Bridge for Newcastle United.

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