News

Chelsea team news: Veltman doubt but Mitoma and Lallana back in training

Our preview of Saturday's Amex clash.

By Bruce Talbot • 28 October 2022

By Paul Hazlewood
Kaoru Mitoma has been back in training after missing Manchester City.

Albion return to the Amex for the penultimate home game before the World Cup break against Graham Potter's Chelsea on Saturday, kick off 3pm.

Team News

Roberto De Zerbi confirmed that Joel Veltman (calf) is a doubt but Kaoru Mitoma and Adam Lallana are back in training and should be available for selection.

View from the Head Coach

At his pre-match press conference, Roberto De Zerbi said, “We are not 100% happy because the results have not been good for us. But I believe in the players and we believe in ourselves. 

"Graham Potter did a very good job here and I would like to say thanks for this team. But I want to win our first game, to change the moment. The moment is not bad but when the results are not good you are a bit sad. The quality of play, the skills we show have been very good but of course we need that first win." 

Player to watch

By Javier Garcia/Shutterstock
Raheem Sterling has scored three Premier League goals since his move from Manchester City.

England forward Raheem Sterling joined Chelsea in the summer after making more than 300 Premier League appearances for Manchester City.

The 27-year-old, who started his career at Liverpool, has scored 112 top-flight goals and contributed 57 assists during a glittering domestic career and won four league titles with City. So far this season he has scored three goals in 10 Premier League appearances for his new club.

Sterling will be heading to next month’s World Cup as an established member of Gareth Southgate’s starting XI. He has scored 19 goals in 79 England appearances since making his debut as a 17-year-old in 2012.

Memorable match

Albion’s record against Chelsea in the Premier League is not great. They lost six of the first seven meetings but the last three have been drawn. At Stamford Bridge in the final game of 2021, Danny Welbeck stunned the home side when he headed in a stoppage-time equaliser as Albion claimed a deserved 1-1 draw.

Stats and facts

Albion have never beaten Chelsea in the Premier League in 10 previous meetings (D4 L6), with the last three all ending as draws.

Chelsea have never lost against Brighton in 14 previous league meetings (W10 D4). Only three fixtures in Football League history have been played more often with one team unbeaten: Man City vs Bournemouth (17), Cardiff City vs Halifax Town (16) and Crystal Palace vs Wrexham (16).

Brighton haven’t led for a single minute in any of their 10 Premier League games against Chelsea (D4 L6). The only team to play more games against a specific opponent without ever taking the lead in the competition is Portsmouth also against Chelsea (14).

Chelsea are unbeaten in their last six Premier League games (W4 D2), although they have drawn the last two. The Blues last drew three successive league matches in January/February 2012 under André Villas-Boas.

No side have scored more Premier League goals in the final 15 minutes of games this season than Chelsea (6). However, Albion are one of just three sides yet to concede in that period so far this term, along with Arsenal and Southampton.

Brighton have an expected goals total of 17.1 this season, but have scored 15 goals – they're one of only two sides in the top half of the table to be underperforming their xG so far in the Premier League this term, along with West Ham (-6).

This will be Graham Potter’s first league meeting with Albion since leaving the club for Chelsea in September. It is the earliest into a Premier League season (by date) that a manager has managed for and against the same team, with the previous earliest Brian Little in 1994-95 for and against Leicester City (December 3rd).

All four of Brighton's Premier League goals under Roberto De Zerbi have been scored by Leandro Trossard. It's just the third time a player has scored each of a side's first four goals under a manager, after Fabrizio Ravanelli for Colin Todd's Derby County and Teemu Pukki for Daniel Farke at Norwich. No player has scored the first five such goals under a manager.

After scoring in his first three Premier League games against Brighton between 2018 and 2019 (including twice at the Amex Stadium), Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has failed to find the net in any of his last five against us.

Match officials

Referee - Andrew Madley

Assistant Referees - Derek Eaton & Steven Meredith

Fourth Official - Sam Allison

Video Assistant Referee - Lee Mason

Additional Video Assistant Referee - Lee Betts