Albion return to the Amex on Saturday to take on Leeds United in a game that sees fifth entertain third in the Premier League.
Albion have an unbeaten record in four matches since Leeds returned to the top-flight in 2020. We won both matches that season, 2-0 at home and 1-0 at Elland Road, while both of last season’s encounters ended in draws, 0-0 at the Amex and 1-1 in West Yorkshire in May when Danny Welbeck was our scorer.
Both teams have identical records after three games – two wins and a draw. Both United’s victories have come at home, 2-1 against Wolves and 3-0 last Sunday versus Chelsea. In their only away match so far they were held 2-2 at Southampton after going 2-0 up.
Team News
At his Friday press conference, Graham Potter confirmed no fresh injury concerns. Only Jeremy Sarmiento and Jakub Moder are missing.
Player to Watch
Spanish striker Rodrigo has made a spectacular start to the season. The 31-year-old has already scored four goals in the first three Premier League games and wore the captain’s armband in last Sunday’s 3-0 win over Chelsea.
He now has 18 goals in 77 Premier League appearances with five assists, having netted six times last season and seven in the 2020/21 campaign. He has won 27 Spanish caps.
Rodrigo is the only player to score in each of his side’s first three Premier League games of this season. He could become the 14th player in Premier League history to score in each of his club’s first four matches of a campaign and the third Spaniard, after José Antonio Reyes for Arsenal in 2004-05 and Diego Costa for Chelsea in 2014-15.
Stats and Facts
- Brighton have won eight of their last 11 league games against Leeds (D2 L1), though both Premier League meetings between the sides last season ended level.
- After winning three consecutive away league games against Brighton between 2007-09, Leeds are winless in their last eight visits (D3 L5). The Whites have failed to score in their last six away games against Albion, only having a longer run without a goal on the road in their league history against Liverpool (7 games between 1980 and 1993).
- Albion are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games (W5 D3), their longest ever run in the competition and joint-longest in the top-flight overall, having only previously gone eight without defeat at this level from October to November 1981.
- Leeds have picked up 11 points in their last five Premier League games (W3 D2 L0), as many as they had across their previous 14 matches in the division beforehand (W3 D2 L9). A win in this game would see them reach 10+ points in their first four games of a Premier League season for only a second time, after 1995-96 (10).
- Albion have won seven points in their opening three Premier League games this season (W2 D1), last picking up as many as 10 points in their first four games in a season in 2015-16 in the Championship.
- Leeds United are third in the Premier League, their highest position going into a top-flight league match since September 2002 when they beat Manchester United under Terry Venables. Last season, they went into every match in the bottom half of the league (excl. opening match against Man Utd).
- Albion have failed to score in six of their last nine league matches at the Amex, although they scored nine times in the three games in which they found the net. Since the start of last season, no side has failed to score in more home Premier League games than the Seagulls (10).
- Pascal Gross has been involved in six goals in his last six Premier League appearances for Brighton (4 goals, 2 assists), having only had one goal involvement in his previous 24 matches (1 assist).
- Jack Harrison has assisted Rodrigo in all three of Leeds’ Premier League matches this season, with 50% of Harrison’s total top-flight assists coming for the Spaniard (6/12). There has never been an instance in Premier League history of a player assisting another in four consecutive matches.
Match officials
Referee: Michael Salisbury; Assistant Referees: Neil Davies & Matthew Wilkes; Fourth Official: James Linington.
VAR: Mike Dean; Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton