In the final fixture of the opening round of the 2020/21 Premier League season, Brighton & Hove Albion host Chelsea at the Amex Stadium on Monday night.
Brighton finished the previous campaign in 15th – seven points clear of the relegation zone – while Chelsea finished 4th – level with third-place Manchester United on 66 points.
It’s fair to say that Brighton did not enjoy a strong end to 2019/20. They only managed to win three of their final 18 Premier League games last term.
Their struggles mainly came at home. The Seagulls failed to score in four of their last six home games and suffered three defeats by over 2.5 goals during that period.
However, the new season brings fresh optimism for the south coast side. There is no denying that Brighton have been moving in the right direction under forward-thinking manager Graham Potter.
It is no secret that Brighton must score more goals this year. Their defensive record wasn’t too bad last term, but only four Premier League sides netted fewer goals than Brighton in 2019/20, and two of them – Watford and Norwich City – were relegated.
On the other hand, Chelsea must tighten things up at the back this season. The Blues conceded a whopping 54 goals last season, finish with the poorest defensive record in the top half.
The defensive additions of Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell will undoubtedly improve Chelsea’s defence, while forwards Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz have been brough in to bolster Lampard’s attacking options.
The Blues finished last season with seven wins from their final ten Premier League games to snatch a Champions League place.
If Chelsea can pick up where they left off last term, as well as integrate the new signings efficiently, Lampard’s side will not only be top-four candidates, they could also be title contenders.
Head-to-head: Chelsea are unbeaten in their last six Premier League games against Brighton, with the Blues claiming a home win and an away draw in this fixture last season.
It’s also worth mentioning that Chelsea have kept four clean sheets in their previous six meetings with the Seagulls.
Team news: Chelsea will be without injured trio Billy Gilmour, Christian Pulisic and Ben Chilwell on Monday.
As for Brighton, Florin And one and Steven Alzate are both on the treatment table. Joel Veltman could make his debut for the club following his move from Ajax.
Looking at the recent head-to-head record between these two sides, all the signs are pointing towards a comfortable win for Chelsea.
3️⃣ days to go...A 6-0 win, including a @didierdrogba hat-trick got us going back in 2010! 👑 pic.twitter.com/zr7WcxEs0w— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 11, 2020
3️⃣ days to go...A 6-0 win, including a @didierdrogba hat-trick got us going back in 2010! 👑 pic.twitter.com/zr7WcxEs0w
Forebet predicts that Chelsea will keep yet another clean sheet on their way to victory over Brighton on Monday.