Premier League: Chelsea Can Gauge Their Progress Against Brighton

Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion

After a slow start in his first few weeks in charge, things are starting to come together for head coach Enzo Maresca. His Chelsea team is currently undefeated in their last four games across all competitions, and they are currently fifth in the Premier League table with 10 points.

Following their 5-0 rout of Barrow in the EFL Cup third round last night, Chelsea will return to Stamford Bridge this Saturday to host a tricky opponent in Brighton.

Brighton have made a fast start in the English top-flight this season under the management of Fabian Hurzeler. The Seagulls have yet to lose at all this season, but they have dropped points in three consecutive league matches.

Something has to give when these two teams met, and SBOTOP has you covered with our latest match preview.

 

Talking points

Maresca faces selection headache for Chelsea

After their opening day loss against Manchester City, Chelsea have picked up better Premier League 2024 results, and it only gets better from here since their injury list is easing up.

Malo Gusto is back after sitting out the last three games, and he started against Barrow yesterday, while Romeo Lavia is upgraded to questionable this weekend.

Chelsea have secured three consecutive clean sheets this week while scoring nine goals, and Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson were two of the reasons why they’re on a roll.

Nkunku scored a hat-trick last night against Barrow to make it six goals in nine games this season, but he has only started one Premier League match thus far. On the other hand, Jackson also has six goals in 10 games, with four of those goals in the league, putting him third in the ongoing Golden Boot race.

Given the short turnaround between games, Enzo Maresca will likely rotate his squad against the Seagulls. Nicolas Jackson should start up front, while Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho, Noni Madueke, Moises Caicedo, and Enzo Fernandez are also pushing to return in the starting XI.

 

Injury woes for Brighton

Meanwhile, Brighton could be without six key players against Chelsea, as Solly March (knee), James Milner (thigh), Matthew O’Riley (ankle), and Brajan Gruda (undisclosed) are ruled out while Joao Pedro (ankle) and Yasin Ayari (illness) are questionable to play.

Joao Pedro was the latest casualty for the Seagulls, as he suffered a knock in last week’s 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest after being tackled hard by Morgan Gibbs-White. Manager Fabian Hurzeler hopes to have him at 100-per cent fitness this weekend since he is one of the top attacking threats.

If Joao Pedro is out, Kaoru Mitoma and Danny Welbeck will carry the heavy load on offence. Between the two, Welbeck poses more danger in the final third, as he has recorded three goals and one assist in the league this campaign.

The former Manchester United striker seems to love playing against Chelsea, as Welbeck has scored three goals in his past four games against them, all while coming off the bench.

 

History

Chelsea have won their last three encounters with Brighton, including a league double last season with an aggregate tally of 5-3.

The Blues were reduced to 10 men in their last meeting when Reece James was sent off late, but Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku’s early goals were enough for them to claim a 2-1 win in May, even if Danny Welbeck scored the Seagulls’ consolation goal.

Chelsea were also reduced to 10 men in their first league match last season when Conor Gallagher was sent off before halftime, but they still came away with a 3-2 victory.

Enzo Maresca and Fabian Hurzeler will square off for the first time this season, as these new managers were appointed by their respective clubs this summer.

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2024 odds predict Chelsea to be the team that will put an end to Brighton’s undefeated streak. The Blues are priced at 1.72, while the Seagulls are 3.96 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.75 in the 1X2 market.

This fixture has had its share of high-scoring games lately. So, other than our recommended bet above, you may also go for Over 2.75 at 1.64, Over 3.00 at 1.84, Total Goal 2-3 at 2.07, or even Total Goal 4-6 at 2.42.

Moreover, the Correct Scores of 2-1 and 3-2 in favour of Chelsea – the results of their league meetings last term – are priced at 7.60 and 18.50, respectively. Those scores in favour of Brighton, on the other hand, are pegged at 14.00 and 36.00, respectively.

   

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