Meanwhile, Brighton & Hove Albion, who have been performing well, secured a 3-1 victory against Bournemouth. Chelsea's woes continued in their latest Stamford Bridge encounter, where they lost with Malo Gusto receiving a red card in the 58th minute, and Ollie Watkins scoring the winner in the 73rd minute. So far in the 2023-24 season, Mauricio Pochettino's team has lost three out of six Premier League games, managing just one win.
Remarkably, only Luton Town and Burnley have scored fewer goals in the Premier League than Chelsea, with the Blues finding the net just five times this season.
Consequently, Chelsea currently sits in 14th place in the Premier League, trailing third-placed Brighton by 10 points and holding only a four-point buffer from the relegation zone. Additionally, they find themselves nine points adrift of the top four.
In the EFL Cup, Chelsea began with a less-than-convincing win over AFC Wimbledon last month, coming from behind to secure a narrow 2-1 victory against the fourth-tier team. Therefore, Pochettino will be looking for an improved performance on Wednesday. Conversely, Brighton has had a strong start to the season, winning five out of six Premier League matches, positioning them within reach of Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the league.
After consecutive 3-1 victories over Newcastle United and Manchester United, Roberto De Zerbi's squad faced a 3-2 loss against AEK Athens in the Europa League last week. However, they promptly bounced back with a 3-1 triumph over Bournemouth in their most recent league match.
The match was tied at 1-1 at halftime, but Kaoru Mitoma, coming off the bench, scored two goals in the second half to complete Brighton's comeback. Brighton has now scored at least three goals in five of their six league games this season.
Thanks to De Zerbi's inventive attacking strategy, Brighton is the top-scoring team in the Premier League this season, having found the net 18 times in their first six matches. As a result, they approach the fixture with confidence and the opportunity to add to Chelsea's woes.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Despite Chelsea's significant investment in squad revamping, Mauricio Pochettino faces a shortage of options for Wednesday's match due to an ongoing injury crisis at Stamford Bridge.Several key players, including Wesley Fofana, Christopher Nkunku, Romeo Lavia, Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James, Carney Chukwuemeka, Benoit Badiashile, Noni Madueke, and Marcus Bettinelli, are sidelined with injuries. Consequently, Chelsea cannot afford to rest many of their key players for the EFL Cup match.
Serbian goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic is expected to make his debut in this match, which means that Robert Sanchez won't face his former club on Wednesday. Additionally, Cole Palmer and Ben Chilwell should return to the starting lineup.
Brighton, on the other hand, is dealing with their own injury concerns. Julio Enciso and Jakub Moder will be out of action for the foreseeable future, while James Milner and Pascal Gross are doubtful for the midweek trip to the capital.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi has demonstrated his willingness to make multiple changes to the starting XI, which could result in a different-looking Brighton side on Wednesday. Players like Jason Steele, Adama Lallana, Solly March, Ansu Fati, and Joao Pedro are in contention for a starting role.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Chelsea possible starting lineup:Petrovic; Disasi, Silva, Colwill, Chilwell; Caicedo, Gallagher; Palmer, Fernandez, Sterling; Broja
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Steele; Lamptey, Van Hecke, Dunk, Estupinan; Lallana, Gilmour; March, Fati, Mitoma; Pedro
EXPERT PREDICTION
Chelsea 1-2 Brighton
Considering Chelsea's recent struggles and Brighton's strong form, it appears that Pochettino's team is in for another challenging match.
Brighton has been prolific this season, scoring a total of 20 goals in seven games across various competitions. Therefore, we anticipate that the Seagulls will secure another high-scoring victory at Stamford Bridge.
