Chelsea welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Stamford Bridge this weekend, looking to continue their exciting winning run, which has seen the West London Giants claim three victories on the trot across all competitions.
The Blues had a difficult start to life under new manager Enzo Maresca. They lost to Manchester City in their Premier League opener before another defeat at the hands of Servette in the Conference League.
However, Chelsea have since found some stability. The Blues inexplicably beat Bournemouth despite being second-best for most of the day before comfortably dispatching West Ham United and Barrow in the EFL Cup.
Chelsea sit in fifth place on the league table, desperate for three points on Saturday as they look to clinch one of the top four spots.
Maresca has managed to get a tune out of his huge squad and fans excited to see if the Blues can carry on their hot streak against Brighton can get their Chelsea tickets from Seatsnet.com at competitive prices.
Meanwhile, Brighton have also made a promising start to the season under new manager Fabian Hurzeler. The German tactician replaced the sulking Roberto De Zerbi and won his first two games in charge.
Brighton dispatched Everton 3-0 and beat Manchester United 2-1 before a commendable draw against title contenders Arsenal. His stellar start earned him the Premier League Manager of the Month award.
The Seagulls have since drawn their two Premier League fixtures against Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town, although they dismissed Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crawley Town from the EFL Cup. Brighton remain unbeaten this season.
Chelsea and Brighton also have a fascinating little rivalry brewing based on the number of players and staff the two-time UEFA Champions League winners have poached from the East Sussex club.
Saturday’s clash promises an exciting encounter between two attacking teams with incredibly talented rosters.
Head to Head
Chelsea have won all their away Premier League games this season but struggled to make Stamford Bridge a fortress, losing to Man City before a 1-1 draw against London rivals Crystal Palace.
Chelsea have faced Brighton 14 times in the Premier League since 2017, claiming eight wins over the Seagulls (L3, D3).
The Blues defeated Brighton home and away last term. However, Chelsea had not won any of their previous three meetings in London before that.
The East Sussex side have only ever won three of their previous 23 meetings with the West Londoners across all competitions, but that will not deter them from trying to cause another upset.
Despite their wins, Chelsea aren’t quite there yet. They overpowered Barrow with their wealth of attacking talents, but the West Ham game was more of the opponents being shambolic.
West Ham succeeded when they held on to the ball and tried to hurt Chelsea. The 1-0 win over Bournemouth also reeked of luck as the Cherries had the five-time Premier League champions against the ropes.
Before that, they drew with Crystal Palace and lost the second leg of the Europa Conference League tie to Servette. This Chelsea side is there for the taking if Brighton pressure them without fear.
With several exciting attacking options like Danny Welbeck, Georginio Rutter, Simon Adingra, Yankuba Minteh, and Kaoru Mitoma, Brighton can cause plenty of problems.
Team news
Chelsea right-back and captain Reece James is out for the foreseeable future, with Maresca unable to place when the defender will return to action.
Malo Gusto has deputised in his absence, but the Frenchman received a knock weeks ago. He made his first appearance since the injury against Barrow during the week but also came off at half-time.
Maresca had the luxury of changing his entire starting line-up for the Barrow game, but the big hitters like Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo will likely reclaim their place in the XI.
Nicolas Jackson is expected to replace hat-trick hero Christopher Nkunku. Cole Palmer will displace Joao Felix, who provided a stellar assist and forced an own goal with a gorgeous free-kick that ricocheted off the bar.
Brighton are already dealing with a raft of injury issues this term despite being barely five league games into the new season.
They will miss the services of attacker Joao Pedro, who netted 20 goals last season, including one against Chelsea and has already found the back of the net twice.
According to Hurzeler, the influential Brazilian picked up the knock in the closing stages of last weekend’s draw with Nottingham Forest.
Matt O’Riley (ankle), Solly March (knee), and James Milner (thigh) are all set to miss the Chelsea game.
Brighton will turn to record summer signing Georginio Rutter to pair with Danny Welbeck in the frontline.
The former Manchester United striker has a decent record against Chelsea, recording four goals in 22 appearances, including a goal in their last meeting in May.
Welbeck has already registered three goals and one assist in the Premier League this term. He will be out for blood against one of his favourite prey.
Elsewhere, Yasin Ayari could be back in action after missing the last match with illness.
Summer signing Brajan Gruda could reclaim a place in the matchday squad after spending time sidelined with an unspecified problem.
Midfielder Mats Wieffer is keen on staking his claim for a starting berth against Chelsea ahead of Jack Hinshelwood or Carlos Baleba.
Meanwhile, fellow summer recruit Yankuba Minteh will battle with Simon Adingra for a place on the right flank.
Chelsea’s potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Robert Sanchez; Malo Gusto, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella; Enzo Fernandez, Caicedo; Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho; Nicolas Jackson.
Brighton & Hove Albion’s potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Bart Verbruggen; Joel Veltman, Lewis Dunk, Paul Van Hecke, Pervis Estupinan; Jack Hinshelwood, Carlos Baleba; Yankuba Minteh, Georginio Rutter, Kaoru Mitoma; Danny Welbeck.
Prediction
Chelsea are inconsistent, especially at home. They are still easy to cut through, with Caicedo and Fernandez sometimes lacking the defensive awareness to shield the backline from danger.
Chelsea’s defence is also alarmingly brittle. Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Axel Disasi have all looked underwhelming beside Levi Colwill at centre-back.
Between the sticks, Sanchez regularly yoyos between brilliant moments and heart-in-mouth situations – a mistake is never too far away from the Spaniard.
However, Chelsea’s fearsome attack of Jackson, Sancho, Palmer, and Madueke will give Brighton defenders a headache. Brighton must also be wary of devastating bench options like Nkunku, Felix, and Pedro Neto.
On the other hand, Brighton will be eager to show they can compete with the heavyweights. The Seagulls cannot afford to fear. This Chelsea team can be rattled. Brighton are formidable enough to take these giants down.
Brighton’s chances of causing an upset in this match are certainly not slim.
If they play with the same fearlessness and attacking intent that has characterised their recent performances, they could capitalise on Chelsea’s vulnerabilities and secure a valuable point or even a victory.
Prediction 2-2
