Chelsea v Brighton – Preview, Predictions, and Best Bets

Chelsea face BrightonThe Blues have won 10 of their last 14 league matches at Stamford Bridge, while the Seagulls remain unbeaten this season in all competitions. However, Brighton have lost their last three encounters with Chelsea.

Chelsea Form

Chelsea finished last season in excellent home form, securing 10 wins and two draws in their final 12 EPL matches at Stamford Bridge. This season began with a 2-0 home loss to Manchester City. Since then, Enzo Maresca’s side has recorded three away league wins. A 6-2 victory at Wolves saw four second-half goals scored.

In their last home league match, Chelsea managed only a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace. A fortunate win followed at Bournemouth, where their opponents missed a penalty and hit the woodwork twice. Last week, Chelsea dominated in a 3-0 win at West Ham before dispatching League Two side Barrow 5-0 in the Carabao Cup.

Chelsea Team News

Enzo Maresca will be without the injured Reece James, but Malo Gusto and Romeo Lavia are fit again. The coach must decide whether to start Gusto or play Wesley Fofana at right-back with Tosin Adarabioyo in the middle.

Further forward, Christopher Nkunku netted a hat-trick in midweek and is pushing for a start. Either Jadon Sancho or Noni Madueke could be benched, with Nkunku playing wide or Cole Palmer shifting to the flank.

Chelsea Motivation

Chelsea are chasing their first home league win of the season. They’ve adopted a more pragmatic approach recently, playing with less possession and more men behind the ball.

A draw would be considered a poor result, and Maresca won’t be satisfied with just a point at any stage.

Brighton Form

Brighton ended last season poorly but are unbeaten under new coach Fabian Hurzeler. They began the campaign with a 3-0 win at ten-man Everton, enjoying 62% ball possession. A very late Joao Pedro goal then secured a 2-1 home win over Manchester United, with Brighton creating 2.09 xG.

A 4-0 League Cup thrashing of Crawley Town was followed by a valuable 1-1 draw at ten-man Arsenal. Despite having 21 shots the following week, Brighton could only draw 0-0 at home to Ipswich. After beating Wolves 3-2 at home in the Carabao Cup, another league draw followed. Brighton surrendered a lead in a 2-2 home draw against Nottingham Forest, despite outshooting their opponents 14-4.

Brighton Team News

The Seagulls will be without Solly March, but German winger Brajan Gruda is nearing a return. James Milner and Matt O’Riley are injured in central midfield, where teenager Jack Hinshelwood is expected to start.

Joao Pedro injured his ankle and is unlikely to feature in this match. Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck are set to lead the line, while Yankuba Minteh is pushing for a recall.

Brighton Motivation

Brighton will arrive with confidence, believing they can win at Chelsea.

While a draw would be a decent result, Brighton will look to attack and dominate proceedings in search of victory.

Key Stats

Chelsea have won 10 of their last 14 home matches.

Chelsea have scored 17 goals in their last 6 matches (all competitions).

Brighton are winless in 3 EPL matches despite having 57 shots in those games.

Brighton have lost their last 3 matches against Chelsea.

Brighton have won just 2 of their last 15 away EPL matches.

Verdict

A close match is expected, and both sides have the attacking quality and depth to score at least once. A score draw looks like great value for this game.