Chelsea vs Brighton 9/28/19 EPL Preview

Chelsea hosts Brighton & Hove Albion in Round 7 of the EPL at Stamford Bridge on September 28, 2019

Chelsea

Chelsea was founded in 1905 and the Blues are one of the most successful football clubs in England. The Blues have won a total of six Top Flight titles, 8 FA Cups, 5 League Cups, 2 UEFA Cup Winners Cup, 2 UEFA Europa League titles, 1 UEFA Super Cup and 1 UEFA Champions League title.

Chelsea won their first honor, the League Championship in 1955. The Blues won their first FA Cup in 1970 and their first European title, the UEFA Winners Cup, in 1971. They went into a decline in the 70s and 80s but came back strong starting the 90s. Five of their Premier League/First League titles have come in the last two decades, the last of which came in 2017 before Manchester City began to dominate the league. Chelsea finished third in the league last season and they look to improve on their finish this time around.

The Blues rank 9th in the Premier League in Goal Difference. Chelsea is 4th in the league in Goals Scored with a total of 11. They are tied for 7th in the league in Assists with six. However, Chelsea is ranked only 18th overall with 11 Goals Conceded on the season.

Forward Tammy Abraham has found his goal scoring form with seven goals in the first five matches of the year. Mason Mount has scored three goals this term and Fikayo Tomori has one goal for the Blues. Mateo Kovacic, Christian Pulisic and Jorginho each have one assist for the Blues.

Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club

The Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club was established in 1901 and the Seagulls played their early years in the Southern League before they joined the Football League in 1920. From 1979 to 1983, they enjoyed success in the First Division and even made it to the 1983 FA Cup Final.

However, this club dropped to the 4th division during the 1990s. They regrouped and earned successive promotions in the early 2000s and then after a runner-up finish in the EFL Championship in 2017, they earned a return ticket to the Premier League after a 34-year absence.  The Seagulls finished 15th in their first season back but were nearly relegated the last time out after a 17th place finish. Chris Hughton was fired and he was replaced by Graham Potter who has the task of keeping Brighton in the Premier League

Brighton is ranked 13th in the league in Goal Difference at -3 goals. They are 15th overall in Goals Scored with only five on the current season. The Seagulls have conceded 8th goals this term, 10th most in the EPL this year. They are also ranked 15th with a total of three assists this season.

Forward Neal Maupay has scored two goals this season while Florin Andon and Leandro Trossard each have one goal on the current term. Davy Propper, Solly March and Bernardo own the assists for the Seagulls. Goalkeeper Matthew Ryan has conceded eight goals and has 13 saves on the year.

Who Wins?

Chelsea is ranked 11th in the Premier League with a record of 2-2-2 SU. The Blues have lost back to back matches after going unbeaten in their first four matches. They lost to Valencia 0-1 in Round five and then they were beaten by Liverpool 1-2 in their most recent outing. Despite their current form, the Blues are the soccer betting favorites to beat the Seagulls.

Brighton ranks 15th in the current EPL table with their 1-3-2 SU record. The Seagulls have not won in their last three matches with a loss to Manchester City and draws against Burnley and Newcastle. They have scored just one goal in their last three matches played.

Head to head, Chelsea has won their last four meetings against Brighton. The Blues beat the Seagulls by an aggregate score of 11-1, holding the latter scoreless in three matches. In their most recent outing last April 3, 2019, Chelsea beat Brighton 3-0.

Brighton is in a tough spot here as Chelsea is out to snap a two-match losing streak. The Blues are at home where they have always been tough to beat. Brighton has struggled this season and they also have struggled to beat Chelsea. I think the Blues bounce back here and pick up the win at home. Prediction: Chelsea

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