Man United lost to Crystal Palace in their opening game of the season. (PHOTO/Courtesy)Brighton and Hove Albion vs Man United The American Express Community Stadium, East SussexSaturday, 26-09-2020 @2:30pmRef: Chris Cavanagh
Manchester United ended a run of three top-flight defeats in a row away to Brighton by winning this fixture 3-0 in June. United are vying for a fourth successive victory against the Seagulls.
Tariq Lamptey is expected to be fit for Brighton despite limping off during the 3-0 win at Newcastle last weekend following a series of heavy challenges. Yves Bissouma serves the second game of his three-match suspension.
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made 10 changes to his starting line-up for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win over Luton and he has no fresh injury concerns. United’s only absentees are defenders Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones.
Albion have won two of their past three league games, as many as they had in their previous 17 attempts. Brighton last managed back-to-back league victories in November 2019. The Seagulls have never won more than one of their opening three fixtures in a top-flight campaign, but neither have they lost both of their first two home matches in a season at that level. They have only earned one point from the past five Premier League fixtures at the Amex Stadium, while their only top-flight home win in 10 attempts this year came against Arsenal in June. Brighton are unbeaten in all 11 Premier League fixtures in which Neal Maupay has scored. Pascal Gross has provided either a goal or an assist in each of his past four league appearances against Manchester United. Two of his three goals in this fixture were winners.
United could lose their opening two league games in a season for the first time since 1992-93. They haven’t won their first away league fixture in either of the past two seasons, including a defeat at Brighton in 2018-19. However, United have won four successive Premier League away matches by an aggregate score of 10-0. They were the most recent Premier League side to earn five consecutive away victories without conceding a goal, back in December 2011. The Red Devils are unbeaten in seven Premier League away matches since a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool on 19 January (W5, D2). Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Graham Potter were opposition players when Manchester United were beaten 6-3 by Southampton at The Dell in the Premier League in October 1996. They both came on as a substitute in that game.
Crystal Palace vs EvertonSelhurst Park, LondonSaturday, 26-09-2020 @5pmRef: Kevin Friend
Crystal Palace are boosted by the return of forward Christian Benteke following a foot injury. However, defenders Gary Cahill, James Tomkins, Patrick van Aanholt and Nathan Ferguson all remain on the sidelines because of injury.
Everton midfielder Fabian Delph made his comeback in the Carabao Cup in midweek but is not yet deemed fit enough for Premier League action. Mason Holgate and Jarrad Branthwaite both remain injury absentees.
Palace are on an 11-match winless league run against Everton, failing to score in six of those games. The three most recent league meetings at Selhurst Park have ended level, including back-to-back goalless draws. The Toffees have lost only one of their past 11 league visits to Palace (W5, D5) and kept clean sheets in six of their last seven trips.
Palace have started a top-flight campaign with consecutive victories for the first time in their history. They last won their opening three league games in 2006-07, in the Championship. Each of their last five home league victories was by a single goal. Palace scored more than twice for the first time in 40 Premier League games during last week’s win at Manchester United. This will be their 400th top-flight home fixture. The Eagles have drawn only one of their past 17 league matches. Their average of just 27% possession is the lowest of all the Premier League sides to have played twice this term. Wilfried Zaha has scored three goals in two league games, just one fewer than he managed in 38 appearances last season. If selected, Joel Ward will be making his 250th Palace appearance, while James McArthur can become only the second Eagles player to feature in 200 Premier League games.
Everton have started the season with back-to-back victories for the first time since 2012-13. They are looking to start a league campaign with three straight wins for the first time since 1993-94. The Toffees are attempting to win successive league games in London for the first time since May 2015. They have won just three of their past 27 league matches in the capital (D11, L13). Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored four goals in two league fixtures this season. James Rodriguez has 53 goals in Europe’s top-five leagues, with 18 of them scored from outside the penalty area – including three of his last six. Rodriguez has been directly involved in 31 goals in 34 league matches under Carlo Ancelotti, scoring 15 and providing 16 assists.
West Bromwich Albion vs ChelseaThe Hawthornes, West Bromwich Saturday, 26-09-2020 @7:30pmRef: Jonathan Moss
West Brom have lost 18 of the 24 Premier League meetings, more than against any other side. The Baggies are on a four-game losing streak in this fixture, conceding nine goals without reply. Chelsea have won each of their past three away league games at The Hawthorns. West Brom’s most recent victory over the Blues was 3-0 at home in the Premier League in May 2015.
West Brom are without the suspended Kieran Gibbs, while loanee Conor Gallagher is ineligible to face his parent club. Ahmed Hegazi is back in training after recovering from a hamstring problem.
Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva are in contention for their first league starts for Chelsea but new goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is not expected to play. Andreas Christensen is banned, while Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic remain unavailable because of injuries.
West Brom are winless in six league matches dating back to last season (D3, L3). They have claimed just 11 Premier League points from the last 48 available (W3, D2, L11). Albion have won only three of their past 24 top-flight home fixtures (D9, L12). Both of West Brom’s league goals this season were scored from outside the penalty area. Matheus Pereira has contributed to 26 league goals for the Baggies since the start of last season with nine goals and 17 assists, 11 more than any other player at the club. Callum Robinson’s solitary Premier League goal in 22 appearances came against Chelsea while playing for Sheffield United. Branislav Ivanovic made 261 Premier League appearances for Chelsea between 2008-2016, scoring 22 goals.
Chelsea have not lost an away game in the month of September since 2016, winning seven times and drawing once in all competitions. However, they have kept just one clean sheet in their 20 Premier League away fixtures under manager Frank Lampard. The Blues have lost three of their past seven away league matches at newly-promoted sides. Chelsea won five of their opening six away league games under Lampard, but have since won only five of 14 (D3, L6). Lampard has won both of his previous league meetings against West Brom as a manager, by an aggregate score of 7-2. He won 13 of his 15 league appearances as a player against the Baggies (D1, L1), scoring six goals.
Burnley vs Southampton Turf Moor, BurnleySaturday, 26-09-2020 @10pmRef: Andre Marriner
Dale Stephens is available for Burnley after joining from Brighton, but Jay Rodriguez is a doubt because of a twisted ankle. The Clarets will monitor James Tarkowski and Robbie Brady, who are nursing respective toe and rib problems.
Ashley Barnes, Johan Berg Gudmundsson, Jack Cork and Ben Mee are unavailable. Southampton are still without Nathan Redmond because of an ankle problem but he is their only absentee.
Burnley are unbeaten in the past seven Premier League meetings, winning four of those matches. Southampton’s only win away to Burnley in the top division came in March 1971, when Mick Channon scored the only goal. Saints have played 11 top-flight fixtures at Turf Moor but have never scored more than once in any of them.
The Clarets have suffered consecutive league defeats – they have not lost three in a row since a four-match sequence from December 2019 to January 2020. Burnley have lost their first home game in four of their previous six Premier League campaigns, though they did win their opener at Turf Moor last season – beating Southampton 3-0. Chris Wood can become the first Burnley player to score in five consecutive top-flight matches since Willie Irvine, who did so in six straight appearances in 1966. The Clarets are winless in each of the last 18 Premier League fixtures that James Tarkowski has missed, losing 10 of those matches. Jay Rodriguez is two short of 100 career league goals, which includes 26 for Southampton.
Southampton have not started a league campaign with three consecutive defeats since 2012, in their first season back in the top flight. Saints could lose back-to-back away games – they only lost two of their final 11 league matches on their travels last season. Danny Ings has scored 45% of Southampton’s 53 league goals since the start of last season. His tally of 24 is 19 more than any team-mate during that period.
The other upcoming Premier League games
Sunday, 27-09-2020
-Sheffield United vs Leeds United @2pm-Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle United @4pm-Man City vs Leicester City @6:30pm-West Ham United vs Wolves @9:30pm
Monday, 28-09-2020
-Fulham vs Aston Villa @7:45pm-Liverpool vs Arsenal @10pm
Comments
