Brighton v Aston Villa: Why have Roberto Di Zerbi’s side stopped scoring amid a dreadful run in front of goal?

Roberto Di Zerbi’s Brighton have scored just three times in their last eight Premier League games – and two of those have been own goals, so what’s behind their slump? | Watch Brighton v Aston Villa live this weekend on Sky Sports’ Super Sunday from 1pm, kick-off 2pm

Brighton’s media team can afford to rest this week, with April’s goal of the month not needed.

The only goal the Seagulls’ men’s side scored in the past month was a comical goal from Burnley goalkeeper Aro Moric to earn Brighton a late draw at Turf Moor. In isolation, this is an amusing scene but look back further and it is worrying for Roberto de Zerbi.

Objectives have dried up. In Brighton’s last eight Premier League games, they have scored just three goals – and two of those were own goals. Every other Premier League team has at least eight in that period. Danny Welbeck is the only player to have scored in his last 11 games for Brighton in all competitions.

This is not the De Zerby Brighton we have become accustomed to. He averaged nearly two goals a game during the early part of the season.

Just two months ago, Brighton were one point off the European places and were competing in the knockout stages of the Europa League. De Zerbe was even being talked about as a possible successor to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

The Seagulls now lie firmly at the bottom of the Premier League table – so much so that Everton, who were relegation candidates until last weekend, would be level on points with them had it not been for the Toffees’ two sets of points deductions.

De Zerbe’s squad has been plagued by injuries for most of the season, with the Seagulls being one of the teams most affected by fitness problems this term. As well as De Zerbe’s willingness to tinker means the Italian has made 131 changes to his starting team this season. The rate of 3.85 substitutions per game is the highest on record in Premier League history.

Stability was hard to come by in a unique season involving a first European campaign. Key players have sat on the sidelines for long periods, including Solly March for much of this season, while Eoin Ferguson, Prous Estopinen and Jack Henschelwood are out for a run-in.

The biggest loss, however, is Kaoru Mitoma, whose final appearance of the season came when Brighton were scoring their usual goals. The Japanese winger was in top form for the Seagulls’ 5-0 win at Sheffield United in February, but a back injury ended his campaign this week.

Mitoma brings unpredictability to the Seagulls attack through his dribbling and maneuvering. He is in the top five players in the league for attacking one-on-ones, bettered only by players from the ‘Big Six’ clubs – showing what an invaluable asset he is to Brighton.

But the statistics show that Mitoma’s injury has not only led to a drop in goal-scoring output, but an entirely inadequate quality.

Mitoma’s absence has been felt by survivors of the Brighton attack. Ivorian winger Simon Adengara has stepped into his shoes and tried to replicate those attacking numbers, but has lacked an end product with no goals since the end of February.

It’s a sentiment shared by the rest of the Brighton squad. Since the start of March, their shooting conversion rate sits at 2.8%, one of the lowest in the Premier League.

Another vulnerable area is creativity. Brighton have created just five big chances in their last eight games, you have to go to Luton with 16 to find the next worst record in the league for that period.

This statistic is particularly striking as Brighton have one of the most creative players in the Premier League in Pascal Gross, who is joint second in the assist chart this season.

But the recent absence of Billy Gilmour, who missed seven games before last Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Bournemouth, has also been badly felt.

The Scot was a key playmaker for De Zerbe before his injury, with the midfielder involved in 60 of 90 sequences in the league this season. Only six Premier League players have been involved, showing just how important cog Gilmour is to the system – and how much his absence has hurt them.

As Brighton prepare to host Aston Villa this weekend, the two teams could not be more different in terms of recent form.

Unai Emery has had the best conversion rate in the last two months of the season, with the in-form Ollie Watkins having both the goal-scoring touch and creativity that Brighton have lacked.

This is not the only key difference. Villa, heading for the Champions League, are at the level where Brighton thought they would progress at the start of this season.

Watch Brighton vs Aston Villa live this weekend on Sky Sports’ Super Sunday from 1pm. Start at 2pm

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