Arsène Wenger seeks a reaction, Rafa Benítez may change approach against Manchester City and is Glenn Murray what Chelsea need?
Two teams struggling to score goals go toe-to-toe when Brighton and Chelsea get the Premier League ball rolling in Saturday’s early kick-off. Brighton have drawn seven blanks in their past 10 league games and have only scored more than once on one occasion in that time. Before their FA Cup draw with Norwich on Wednesday night – Antonio Conte’s side eventually won the tie on penalties – Chelsea had failed to score in three successive games; an uncharacteristic drought for the defending champions, who will be without the suspended Pedro and Álvaro Morata and are also likely to be missing the hamstrung Cesc Fàbregas. A team already over-reliant on Eden Hazard may have to depend on him more than ever and the Belgian is likely to play as a false nine in the absence of Morata. The unsurprising news that Andy Carroll is likely to be sidelined for four to six weeks with an ankle injury means the West Ham striker will not be lumbering to the rescue any time soon. In Glenn Murray, Brighton have something of a Carroll Lite and with two goals in his past three games, the striker will have no better opportunity to audition for one of the most unlikely transfers in Premier League history. BG
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