The new season begins Monday...
News
Four injuries for the Albion- Izquierdo, Andone, Propper (achilles), and
Christian Walton are expected to miss out.
Chelsea will be without Ben Chilwell, Hakim Ziyech, Thiago Silva, Billy
Gilmour, and Mateo Kovacic (serving a ban).
Rumors continue to swirl that Albion will sign another striker, a left-back,
and a midfielder. However, no official signings have been made as of today.
The atmosphere is a curious one, as many Brighton fans are intrigued by the
new style of play going into its second season. Many fans, including myself,
want to see how far 'Potterball' can get us.
What to Look For
I expect Brighton to begin the campaign, just as we did last year, aggressively. Coach Potter now has a season of experience under his belt, and will likely make smarter in-game decisions. He also now understands the limitations of his team.
For those reasons, I think we will attempt to play possession-based
football, but still incorporate the long ball. We have recently shown
appreciation for both styles of play, which I think is the right
idea.
The truth is, we aren't Liverpool. Our midfielders aren't of the same
composure, and continuously picking out the perfect pass isn't realistic.
Sometimes, its better to knock it up and know that Big Dan Burn will head it
down.
However, our squad has greatly improved and shown growth. Specifically, we
have improved in the final third. I expect us to create clear-cut chances
through creative play as opposed to lucky breaks and free
headers.
An example of this was the flick from Connolly to Maupay in our 2-1 win vs
Arsenal. That kind of link-up play is essential to scoring goals. Its been
very impressive to see more play like this in the final third in our
friendly matches, and I expect it to continue throughout the
season.
Chelsea, on the other hand, has a flurry of new signings. Would it be criminal to think they wouldn't link up perfectly on the opening day? I think its possible we will see a bit of rust.
However, this shouldn't discredit the talent they have acquired since
finishing their transfer ban. Ziyech will be absent, but Timo Werner and Kai
Havertz from the Bundesliga will be looking to show they can score goals in
the Premier League.
The Bundesliga is sometimes criticized as a 'farmer's league', just as Ligue 1
is, and these players are aware of that. They will want to show that they did
not only score goals in the Bundesliga because those teams were easier to
compete against.
Key Players
For Brighton, I think Trossard will be important to the match. Its no secret
that Chelsea struggled defensively at times last season, and they signed
Thiago Silva in an attempt to remedy that.
However, I still believe its an area to exploit. One of our standout players
last season was Leo, and he certainly has the ability to confuse the Chelsea
defense, get in behind, and create chances.
In addition, his impact can be felt whether starting or off the bench. I
didn't predict him to start, instead favoring Connolly. He has shown on many
occasions last season that he can make an impact from the bench, so I think he
can be influence the match.
In general, substitutes made a big difference for us last season. This is in
stark contrast to our first two seasons in the PL, when Hughton was known for
only making substitutions after the 77th minute. We can expect substitutes to
continue to impact our results this season.
For Chelsea, I think it can be any one of their new signings. As we have seen
in our own squad, new signings promote competition for places. I believe their
new arrivals, such as Werner, Silva, Chilwell, and Havertz, will all be
seeking to impress the coach and earn a first-team spot. However, Silva and
Chilwell are expected to be absent for the opening day.
This also shouldn't mean that Chelsea's existing players, such as Giroud,
Abraham, and Rudiger, won't be looking to keep their places. No player wants
to be replaced, so the atmosphere around the Blues should be one to watch
throughout the season.
Prediction
In a place as tough as the Premier League, its important to have a positive
outlook. I believe we can achieve a 1-1 result.
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