Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea - prediction, team news, lineups

Separated by lone 1 constituent successful the congested Premier League standings, faltering Chelsea and high-flying Brighton & Hove Albion conscionable astatine the Amex Stadium connected Tuesday evening.

The Blues' Champions League chances dwindled further connected Saturday by virtuousness of a 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Manchester United, portion the Seagulls enhanced their European credentials with a 2-2 comeback gully astatine Tottenham Hotspur.

Match preview

Liam Rosenior's playing vocation ended astatine Brighton successful 2018, and the 41-year-old's hopes of starring Chelsea into Europe's apical contention adjacent play could besides beryllium efficaciously implicit with different dissatisfactory effect connected the South Coast this week.

With the caller manager bounce firmly worn off, Chelsea clasp the unwanted honour of being the lone broadside to suffer each of their past 4 Premier League fixtures, aft Matheus Cunha condemned the Blues to different disheartening decision connected Saturday evening.

The lack of Joao Pedro did Chelsea nary favours, but Michael Carrick missing Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt from his ravaged defence made the Blues' nonaccomplishment to find the backmost of the nett each the much alarming.

Not lone person Chelsea mislaid 5 of their past six games successful each tournaments, but the visitors person drawn a blank successful beforehand of extremity successful each 5 of those defeats, lone lacing up their champion shooting boots successful the 7-0 FA Cup annihilation of Port Vale.

Chelsea cannot emergence immoderate higher than sixth spot successful the Premier League table nary substance what transpires connected Tuesday evening, and their appalling tally has allowed each of Brentford, Bournemouth, Fulham, Brighton and Everton - who look Liverpool successful Sunday's Merseyside derby - to determination to wrong touching region of the Club World Cup champions.

Chelsea inactive being successful Champions League contention means that Brighton tin besides imagination of eating astatine Europe's apical table, aft frustrating the manager who masterminded their first-ever qualification for continental contention 3 years ago.

Twice Brighton fell down to Roberto De Zerbi's Tottenham connected Saturday evening, and doubly the Seagulls responded done emphatic Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter strikes, pushing Spurs person to the trapdoor portion boosting their top-seven hopes.

Just 1 constituent separates Brighton from each of Chelsea, Brentford and Bournemouth successful the chaotic continental race, though Saturday's stalemate snapped a three-match winning tally for Fabian Hurzeler's side, who were the astir in-form squad successful the part earlier facing the Premier League's astir out-of-form squad successful Tottenham.

Furthermore, Brighton person won conscionable 3 of their past 10 Premier League location games aft prevailing successful 4 of their archetypal six successful the 2025-26 campaign, though their astir caller brushwood astatine the Amex Stadium was March's connection 2-1 triumph implicit wounded champions Liverpool.

The Danny Welbeck-inspired Seagulls memorably bested Chelsea 3-1 astatine Stamford Bridge backmost successful September too, frankincense extending their winning tally implicit the Blues to 3 games successful each tournaments aft back-to-back FA Cup and Premier League victories - conscionable six days isolated - successful February 2025.

Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:

Chelsea Premier League form:

Chelsea signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Losing Pedro pre-kickoff was capable of a stroke successful itself for Chelsea, but Rosenior was past dealt a treble in-game setback aft injuries forced Estevao Willian and Enzo Fernandez disconnected the transportation either broadside of fractional time.

A tearful Estevao could beryllium retired for a portion with his hamstring wounded - whether his World Cup hopes are successful jeopardy is different question - but Rosenior is keeping his fingers crossed implicit the availabilities of Fernandez (calf) and Pedro (thigh) for Tuesday night.

Benoit Badiashile (illness) and Filip Jorgensen (groin) person not been firmly ruled retired yet either, but Reece James (hamstring), Levi Colwill (fitness), Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (thigh) and Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended) volition not beryllium involved.

Speaking of players letting the waterworks flow, Brighton's Diego Gomez besides could not fell his emotion aft suffering a first-half wounded against Spurs, seemingly jarring his genu aft an awkward landing.

To marque matters worse, Gomez's replacement Mitoma was besides forcibly withdrawn successful the second stages of the game, but Hurzeler could not springiness a definitive update connected either subordinate astatine afloat time.

James Milner (unspecified), Adam Webster (knee) and Stefanos Tzimas (knee) are besides connected the attraction table, but skipper Lewis Dunk astatine slightest returns from a two-game suspension.

Brighton & Hove Albion imaginable starting lineup:

Verbruggen; Wieffer, Dunk, Van Hecke, Kadioglu; Gross, Ayari; Minteh, Rutter, De Cuyper; Welbeck

Chelsea imaginable starting lineup:

Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Pedro, Neto; Delap

We say: Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Chelsea

Chelsea's barren tally successful beforehand of extremity has to extremity astatine immoderate point, and the expected instrumentality of prima striker Pedro - against his erstwhile nine nary little - could beryllium the magic look needed for the Blues to yet occurrence again.

However, the visitors stay susceptible astatine the backmost and are entering situation territory successful presumption of the club's narration with the fans - fractures which could nary uncertainty seep down to the players - truthful Rosenior's instrumentality to an inspired Brighton is apt to beryllium a miserable one.

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