Albion ended the year in fine fashion, out-passing and out-shooting European champions Chelsea to score their first Premier League goal at Stamford Bridge.
Brighton outperformed Chelsea tonight in terms of:
— Albion Analytics (@AlbionAnalytics) December 29, 2021
Shots taken (18 v 11)
Shots on target (6 v 5)
Passes completed (369 v 334)
Dribbles completed (13 v 7)
(Fewest) fouls committed (7 v 12)#BHAFC #BHACHE pic.twitter.com/RXupeYVFEa
Brighton’s output against Chelsea was their best in any single game this season in terms of:
— Albion Analytics (@AlbionAnalytics) December 30, 2021
Pressures (225)
Successful pressures (73)
Tackles + interceptions (48)
Crosses (19)
Shots on target (6)#BHAFC #CHEBHA pic.twitter.com/kzrkO7PJtd
That result means Brighton have won (12) as many games as they have lost in 2021, the highest number of wins they have managed in a calendar year as a Premier League side – the previous record was 11 in 2018. Their 15 clean sheets this calendar year absolutely obliterates the previous best (as a Premier League side) of eight in 2019; likewise, 39 goals conceded is the fewest in a year, despite having played more Premier League games in 2021 (40) than in any other year as a Premier League side. Only in 2018 (41) did they score more domestic goals than in 2021 (39).
Brighton in the Premier League in 2021:
— Albion Analytics (@AlbionAnalytics) December 29, 2021
40 games played
W12, D15, L12
39 goals scored, 39 conceded
15 clean sheets
1.3ppg
Form worth almost 50 points over a full season. 🔵#BHAFC pic.twitter.com/xiNtZUgTln
Robert Sanchez – whom was in goal for all 15 of those clean sheets – has kept goal in 39 of Brighton’s 40 Premier League games this year, and across 2021 he boasts a 74.8% save rate, a 9.7% cross stop rate and a 38.5% clean sheet rate. All three of those totals rank him among the top 15% of European goalkeepers. The Spaniard has conceded less than a goal per game (0.95) in 2021, saving an additional six goals above average – according to the quality of shots on target he has faced – as per StatsBomb data.
Robert Sanchez ranked among Europe top 5 league GKs (born 1997 or later) this season:
— Albion Analytics (@AlbionAnalytics) December 27, 2021
1st for passes (619)
1st for cross stop rate (15.2%)
2nd for additional goals saved (+2.1)
2nd for sweeper-keeper actions (20)
3rd for save % (78%)
3rd for clean sheet % (37.5%)
🇪🇸#BHAFC pic.twitter.com/iG5pw1Vbx8
They end the year having lost just once in their last nine trips on the road, coming back from behind on six different occasions to earn a result – impressively, they have taken points in both trips to Stamford Bridge and Anfield.
Brighton have only lost one of their nine away #PL matches this season (W2 D6) 🛣️
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 30, 2021
No team have lost fewer on the road in 2021/22 💪#CHEBHA pic.twitter.com/fJFWu4nGpA
Danny Welbeck’s headed equaliser was his sixth goal in 2021, the third most of any Albion player behind Neal Maupay (10) and Leandro Trossard (8).
There's no way. There's no way... 😜 pic.twitter.com/8yZELvMzKc
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 30, 2021
Brighton’s top players for goal involvements (Premier League) in 2021:
— Albion Analytics (@AlbionAnalytics) December 29, 2021
🇧🇪 Trossard - 13 (8G, 5A)
🇫🇷 Maupay - 11 (10G, 1A)
🇩🇪 Gross - 9 (1G, 8A)
🏴 Welbeck - 7 (6G, 1A)
🏴 Dunk - 4 (4G)
🇦🇷 Mac Allister - 4 (2G, 2A)#BHAFC pic.twitter.com/Hyvb7MvIo5
Leandro Trossard (13) had more goal involvements than any other Albion player in 2021 and was directly involved in a third of all goals. Across 2021, the Belgian ranks (per 90) inside the top 25% of forwards for shot-creating actions (3.1) and press success rate (29%), sitting pretty inside the top 10% for passes into the penalty area (2.2), tackles + interceptions (2.15), passes completed (28.5) and progressive yards dribbled (112.5), evidence of the rounded nature of his game.
Leandro Trossard is having his best Premier League season ever in terms of (per 90 minutes):
— Albion Analytics (@AlbionAnalytics) December 14, 2021
Shots (2.6)
Pass accuracy (79%)
Chance creating carries (1.4)
Final third pressures (7.3)
Tackles + interceptions (2.4)
Dribble success rate (74.4%)#BHAFC pic.twitter.com/MSTBvUuoVR
Compared to previous seasons, Brighton will enter the new year in the top half for the first time ever as a Premier League side, on their highest points per game total (1.33) and the furthest from the relegation zone (13 points) than they have ever been at the turn of the year. Only in the 2018/19 season have they been on more points (25) at the New Year, but that had been from 20 games played, with Albion having taken 24 points from 18 games so far this season.
Over 25% (10/39) of Brighton’s Premier League goals in 2021 have been scored in the final 15 minutes of games, including three in the final five games of the calendar year. They have recovered 12 points (W2, D6) from losing situations this year, though two-thirds of those have come since the start of August.
⏱️ 90'
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 29, 2021
⏱️ 90+8'
⏱️ 90+1'
Our last three away goals. 🤪 pic.twitter.com/jdk3IA75bJ
Brighton’s best spell of the calendar year started in January, when they went six games unbeaten (all competitions), winning four and keeping as many clean sheets, shutting Premier League opponents out for 7 hours and 39 minutes before finally conceding at Burnley.
Brighton’s January 2021 (Premier League only):
— Albion Analytics (@AlbionAnalytics) January 31, 2021
◉ 8 points from a possible 15
◉ 5 goals scored from 7.8 xG
◉ 4 goals conceded from 5.6 xGA
◉ Unbeaten in 4 out of 5 games
◉ 3 clean sheets
What a month. 🔵#BHAFC pic.twitter.com/FMWHeWqVD5
They boasted similar form at the start of the 2021/22 season, winning six of the first seven games in all competitions – losing just once in the first 10 – by an aggregate score of 11-4, keeping four clean sheets in that period.
While it would be easy to say that a New Year’s resolution for the Albion would be to better convert chances – they scored 39 goals from shots worth 51.56xG in 2021 – it is worth noting they limited opponents to chances worth around 9xG less (42.38xGA in 2021), and their Premier League points per game average across the last year (1.3) works out to almost 50 points across a full league season, which would comfortably be a club record.
🏴 | Team of the Year
— SofaScore (@SofaScoreINT) December 30, 2021
The time has now come for us to reveal our highest-rated XI in this calendar year for the Premier League! 🤩
Man City's dominance in 2021 means they're the side with the most players featured, while Trent Alexander-Arnold is our EPL Player of the Year. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/pvDYmmHLnP