Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is confident that his team’s improving performances can bring them a first home Premier League win of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. Lampard’s callow side began their campaign with a 4-0 humbling against Manchester United at Old Trafford but have improved with each game and currently sit 11th in the standings. Chelsea were beaten 2-1 at home by Liverpool last weekend but Lampard was pleased with his team’s performance, particularly in the second half where they mounted a spirited fightback against the league leaders.
“The fact we haven’t won at home is something we want to correct,” Lampard told reporters on Friday. “We need a similar performance to Liverpool. If we get that level then I expect we can do okay.” Chelsea will be boosted by the return of 18-year-old winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, who made a scoring return from a long-term Achilles injury in their midweek League Cup win over Grimsby Town but Olivier Giroud faces a late fitness test. Centre back Antonio Rudiger is still out with a groin injury but fellow defender Andreas Christensen is in contention after recovering from a knee injury he sustained against Liverpool.
Brighton, 15th in the table, have never taken a point off Chelsea in the Premier League but Lampard said that statistic would not lull his team into complacency. “We must respect Brighton hugely because they’re playing very well,” he added. “Stats are stats. In fact, that would worry me more than an in-between stat. Each game has to be treated as a new game. “So we can’t just because we haven’t had a home win expect it will come because we’re Chelsea and they’re Brighton. No, we respect them and we’ll try and get our win.”