Chelsea v Albion
PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Date: Wednesday 29th December 2021
Kick-off: 19:30 GMT
Referee: The Complete And Utter Shyster
Assistants: Edward Smart, Mark Scholes
Fourth Official: Stuart Attwell
VAR: Kevin Friend
Additional VAR: Simon Beck
TEAM NEWS
Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante is expected to miss out after he sustained another knee injury in the Boxing Day win at Aston Villa.
Thiago Silva will be assessed after coming off at Villa Park with a tight hamstring, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek (ankle) could return following three games out.
Ben Chilwell is set to miss the rest of the season because he requires surgery on the ACL injury he suffered versus Juventus in November.
Brighton & Hove Albion welcome back Yves Bissouma from suspension but Leandro Trossard (hamstring) faces a late fitness test.
Lewis Dunk (knee) and Jeremy Sarmiento (hamstring) remain out although Joel Veltman could be available after he was rested for the win against Brentford.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
[*=left]Brighton & Hove Albion have won only one of their 16 matches against Chelsea in all competitions, a 2-1 home victory in the FA Cup third round on 14 January 1933. It was the first competitive fixture between the clubs.
[*=left]In the top four tiers of English football, Brighton have played a league game versus 109 different opponents. The only one they have failed to beat in a league fixture is Chelsea.
[*=left]Brighton have lost their seven matches at Stamford Bridge by an aggregate score of 14-0. The Seagulls only avoided defeat in a goalless Premier League draw on 20 April 2021.
[*=left]Chelsea's tally of 41 points is their highest at the halfway stage since 2016-17, when they went on to win the title.
[*=left]They can win consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since they won all four league games in October.
[*=left]Chelsea have not lost their final Premier League game of a calendar year since 2011, when they were beaten 3-1 by Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
[*=left]Chelsea could lose five Premier League home fixtures in the same calendar year for the first time since 1995.
[*=left]They have dropped points in three of their past four Premier League home games, while they needed a 94th-minute penalty by Jorginho to beat Leeds United in the other.
[*=left]Edouard Mendy could become just the fifth goalkeeper in Premier League history to keep 25 clean sheets in his opening 50 appearances. The others are are Petr Cech (33), Pepe Reina (28), Alisson (26) and Jerzy Dudek (25).
[*=left]Brighton begin this matchround ninth in the Premier League table. Their highest top-flight position at the turn of the year is ninth in 1981-82.
[*=left]Brighton ended a club top-flight record run of 11 consecutive winless matches by beating Brentford on Boxing Day.
[*=left]They have lost only one of their eight Premier League away fixtures this campaign, but that run includes drawing five of their past six games on the road.
[*=left]Brighton have won only one of their 14 Premier League fixtures played on a Wednesday, a 1-0 victory at Liverpool on 3 February.
[*=left]Neal Maupay is one short of equalling Glenn Murray's club record of 26 Premier League goals.
[*=left]Maupay can become the first Brighton player to score in four consecutive Premier League appearances.
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