Chelsea team news: Joao Pedro and Mitoma to be assessed

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All the team news ahead of Sunday's game at Stamford Bridge.

Charlie Hanson

2023-12-02T14:30:00Z

Joao Pedro scored the winning penalty at AEK Athens on Thursday night.

Albion will look to make it three consecutive victories on Sunday as they travel to Chelsea, kick-off 2pm.

Having beaten Nottingham Forest last weekend, Albion secured their place in the knockout stages of the Europa League with a 1-0 away win at AEK Athens.

Team news

James Milner is available to play against Chelsea.

Speaking in his press conference on Saturday afternoon, Roberto De Zerbi said, "We have to analyse Joao Pedro tomorrow morning to see if he’s available to play a part of the game. Adam Lallana can play, James Milner as well.

"Jan Paul can play, because he was suspended [for Athens]. We have to see about Mitoma, I don’t know if he can start the game. But we will be ready to fight, to play, to try to win points."

Our last meeting

Albion took on Chelsea in the Carabao Cup earlier this season, when Nicholas Jackson scored the only goal of the game at Stamford Bridge. Our meetings in the Premier League last season proved a lot more fruitful however, as Roberto De Zerbi secured his first victory as Albion boss with a thumping 4-1 win over the Blues at the Amex, before Julio Enciso’s wonderful strike secured a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge.

Player to watch

Cole Palmer in action for former side Manchester City last season.

Cole Palmer’s form for Chelsea saw him win his first senior cap for England last month. The 21-year-old joined the Blues from Manchester City in the summer and has quickly established himself as a key player for Mauricio Pochettino’s team. With four goals and two assists so far this campaign, this could prove to be a breakthrough year for the attacker.

Match stats

Having won 10 of their first 11 league games against Brighton (D1), Chelsea are now winless in five against the Seagulls (D3 L2), losing both Premier League meetings last season.

Brighton have failed to score in eight of their 10 away games against Chelsea in all competitions, including a 1-0 defeat already this season in the EFL Cup.

Chelsea have lost five of their 13 Premier League games this season, only the second time in their last 28 seasons they have lost as many at this stage of a season, along with 2015-16 (7). They’ve also shipped 20 goals at this stage of a Premier League campaign for just a second time, with the other instance also in 2015-16 when they’d conceded 23 as reigning champions.

Brighton are one of only four sides yet to keep a Premier League clean sheet this season, with the Seagulls making a joint high four errors leading to goals this season. They have also scored in every game, however, and could become just the sixth top-flight team ever to score and concede in their first 14 matches in a season, and first since Wolves back in 1934-35.

Chelsea have shipped four goals in each of their last two games, drawing 4-4 with Man City and losing 4-1 at Newcastle. It’s the first time they’ve done so in consecutive top-flight games since December 1989, when they did so in three games in a row against Wimbledon, QPR and Liverpool.

Brighton and Hove Albion’s 13 Premier League games this season have seen 51 goals scored (28 for, 23 conceded), the most of any team. The Seagulls have scored and conceded in their last 17 Premier League games, with Newcastle United the last top-flight team to have a longer such run (21 between December 1957 and August 1958).

After going 63 Premier League games in a row without a red card between February 2022 and the start of November, Brighton have received a red card in each of their last two games. Lewis Dunk’s red against Nottingham Forest was his fifth in the Premier League, the most of any player since Brighton joined the division in 2017-18.

Danny Welbeck scored in his first Premier League away game against Chelsea (with Sunderland in November 2010) and has scored on his last two visits with Brighton. The only player to score in four games at Stamford Bridge as a visiting player in the competition is Javier Hernández.

Raheem Sterling has been involved in one goal in each of his last three Premier League appearances (2 goals, 1 assist), his best run as a Chelsea player. He’s looking to score in three games in a row for the first time since December 2021, when he was at Manchester City (four in a row).

Pascal Groß has been involved in 10 goals in his last 18 Premier League appearances (5 goals, 5 assists), assisting two goals in Brighton’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, only Kevin De Bruyne (544) has created more chances in the Premier League than the German (433).

Match officials