Chelsea welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon, with Xabi Alonso’s side aiming to make it three wins from three since the Spaniard took charge.
The Blues have made an encouraging start to the post-Rosenior era, defeating Fulham 3-2 on the opening Premier League weekend before overcoming Luton Town 2-0 in the Carabao Cup. Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer were on target against Fulham, while Danny Welbeck scored against his former club before an own goal sealed Chelsea’s progress against Luton.
Brighton have also enjoyed an impressive beginning to the campaign. Fabian Hurzeler’s side thrashed Aston Villa 4-0 before overcoming Tromso 4-0 to secure their place in the Conference League league phase. The Seagulls have scored eight goals without reply across their last two victories.
Chelsea will be wary of Brighton’s excellent recent record in this fixture, having lost each of their last four meetings. That run includes a 3-0 defeat in April and a 3-1 comeback victory at Stamford Bridge last September.
The Blues still lead the overall head-to-head record, winning 16 of 27 meetings compared with Brighton’s six, while five encounters have ended level.
Team News
Chelsea hope Moises Caicedo can return after missing the opening two victories with a training injury. Marco Palestra and Jordan Henderson remain unavailable, while Wesley Fofana is back after serving his suspension.
Enzo Fernandez could again be left out amid transfer speculation, while Robert Sanchez is expected to retain his place in goal.
Brighton have doubts over Jack Hinshelwood and Georginio Rutter. Matt O’Riley could replace Hinshelwood, while Charalampos Kostoulas or Promise David may lead the attack if Rutter is unavailable.
Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma, Stefanos Tzimas and Evan Ferguson remain sidelined.
Possible Lineups
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Fofana, Lacroix, Colwill; Gusto, Caicedo, James, Chavarria; Palmer, Rogers; Joao Pedro
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Kadioglu, Boscagli, Dunk, Vuskovic; Wieffer, Ayari; Gomez, Gross, De Cuyper; Kostoulas
How to Watch
| Platform | Details |
|---|---|
| TV Broadcast | SuperSport Premier League |
| Live Stream | dstv stream |
| Kick-off Time | 14:00pm (WAT) |
Match Prediction
Softfootball predicts Chelsea 2-1 Brighton.
