Albion want to give their season a lift with a landmark result against one of the big guns.

But fixtures so far this season underline how much harder it is becoming for sides at the foot of the table to beat teams in the European places.

The Seagulls host Chelsea this weekend as they look to bounce back from last week’s worrying defeat at West Brom.

It is not the only bottom-versus-top contest.

Southampton are at home to Tottenham and Newcastle could face a Manchester City backlash after their first defeat as they go to the Etihad.

Albion are now the only Premier League team yet to take a point off a top-six side.

They were left on their own when Bournemouth came from a goal down to beat Arsenal last Sunday.

The Argus:

But that was the first win by one of the current bottom-eight members over a top-six team in almost three months.

It is a subjective view at the moment but let’s imagine West Ham and Crystal Palace are, like Everton before them, pulling away from trouble.

Let’s work on the basis that the fight to stay up currently looks like it will come down to eight teams – the promoted three, the south coast pair of Bournemouth and Southampton, the Midlands rivals Stoke and West Brom plus Swansea.

And let’s look at the gap above Burnley and decide that, for all Arsenal’s wobbles, no team will break into the current top six from here on in.

So bottom eight versus top six gives a clear indication of how the gulf is widening.

Bournemouth’s win over Arsenal was just the third by a team in of the current bottom eight against a big gun this season.

When normal service was resumed between Manchester United and Stoke City on Monday, it was the 55th match between teams at either end of the table.

The bottom eight have picked up three wins out of 55 between them.

There was Stoke’s success at home to Arsenal right at the start of the season and victory for Huddersfield at home to Manchester United just before the clocks went back in October.

Stoke also drew at home to Arsenal, also very early in the season, giving them four points from eight matches against the top six so far.

It is the best haul by any of the current bottom eight.

Those wins for Huddersfield and Bournemouth give them three points apiece against the elite while West Brom have had three draws.

Southampton have two points, Newcastle and Swansea have one each and Albion are yet to get off the mark.

There have been eight draws in those 55 top-v-bottom affairs, of which four have been picked up by the underdogs on their travels.

West Brom drew 0-0 at Liverpool and 1-1 at Tottenham, Southampton finished goalless at Old Trafford and Swansea had a 0-0 at Tottenham.

Chelsea head to the Amex having so far won 4-0 at both Stoke and West Brom, 3-1 at Huddersfield and 1-0 at Bournemouth.

Wins at home to Stoke, Swansea, Albion, Newcastle and Southampton give them a perfect nine from nine against the bottom teams so far.

So a point or three from Albion would break two ducks.

The Argus:

Albion skipper Bruno has described results off the top six as “extra points”.

But none of the strugglers have more than Albion’s six remaining fixtures against top-six teams.

Newcastle and Huddersfield also still have six to come, mainly away from home.

Like Albion, Southampton also have four home games to come against the big-hitters.

Playing down games against top-six outfits as no-pressure occasions, free hits or "extras" might not be good enough as fixtures run out.

Bruno said: “We have to get something against the top six.

“They are good but it’s 11 against 11 and we are at home.

“We are going to push really hard.”

When reminded that United lost at Huddersfield, he replied: “There are a lot of examples of beating big teams so why not us?”

The problem is that such shock wins are becoming rarer.

Looking at last season's final table, it is easier to cut off the bottom seven, above whom there was a three-point gap.

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The final bottom seven teams had eight wins against top-six outfits between them.

It’s not a big tally but it’s better than this season. Only the bottom two, Middlesbrough and Sunderland, failed to claim a big scalp.

The bottom seven averaged a little more than 0.4 points per game against the top six.

That average has slipped to 0.3 points per game for the bottom eight against the top six this season.

The campaign when the big guns really took their eyes off the ball was 2015-16.

Leicester won the title and Southampton were also in the top six with Liverpool and champions Chelsea slipping out.

Back then, only rock-bottom Aston Villa failed to claim a notable scalp and even they managed draws with Manchester City and Southampton.

The bottom seven averaged almost 0.6 points per game against top six teams – so more than double the reward they are claiming this term.

So what happens now?

Talk in the Hawthorns media room at lunchtime last Saturday was how West Brom were running into a series of home games which could keep them up.

Up the M6, new Stoke boss Paul Lambert kicks off with games against Huddersfield and Watford at home and Bournemouth away before hosting the Seagulls.

Could they drag Watford into the relegation equation?

Marco Silva’s stuttering side still look potentially at risk of a nervous finale.

They have played at home to all of the top six except Chelsea.

That, obviously, offers plenty of games to come at Vicarage Road against sides in mid-to-lower table.

It also explains why they have taken more points away than at home so far.

But they are not safe yet.