The last time these two sides met, Chelsea claimed a 2-1 victory at the Amex Stadium four months ago. Since then, Chelsea have been on a roll. After a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, they've secured three straight wins without conceding a goal, including Premier League victories over Bournemouth (1-0) and West Ham (3-0).
Following their league success, Chelsea cruised to a 5-0 win over Barrow in the EFL Cup, with Christopher Nkunku stealing the spotlight with a hat-trick. With momentum on their side, they’ll now focus on maintaining this form as they face Brighton, before upcoming games against Gent in the Europa Conference League and Nottingham Forest.
Notably, Chelsea have collected more points than any other Premier League team since May, including 10 points from their first five games this season, leaving them fifth in the table, just three points behind Manchester City.
However, while they’ve been perfect on the road, Chelsea have yet to win at home this season. Their record against Brighton at Stamford Bridge is mixed, with just one win in their last four meetings—though that victory came in December 2023.
Brighton are one of only four Premier League teams still unbeaten this season, having played out a dramatic 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest last weekend. That game saw both managers sent off, and despite leading 2-1 at halftime with goals from Jack Hinshelwood and Danny Welbeck, Brighton conceded a late equalizer to Ramon Sosa.
Due to his actions in that match, Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler will be absent from the dugout on Saturday, with assistant coach Andrew Crofts stepping in. Crofts has emphasized the need for the team to reflect and improve after the Forest draw.
Brighton will be eager to get one over Chelsea, having lost to them both home and away last season. Historically, the Seagulls have only won three of their 23 meetings with Chelsea across all competitions, so they’ll be looking to change that record at Stamford Bridge.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Chelsea are still without captain Reece James, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, and Romeo Lavia is a doubt due to a thigh issue.After rotating the squad in midweek, Maresca is expected to revert to the lineup that beat West Ham last weekend. However, Malo Gusto could keep his place at right-back after returning from injury and playing the first half against Barrow. Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Cole Palmer are likely to return to the midfield, while Nicolas Jackson will replace Nkunku up front, partnering with wingers Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke.
Brighton, meanwhile, will be without Joao Pedro, who picked up a knock late in the draw with Nottingham Forest. Matt O'Riley (ankle), Solly March (knee), and James Milner (thigh) remain out as well. On the positive side, Yasin Ayari is back after illness, and summer signing Brajan Gruda could make his return to the squad after a spell on the sidelines.
Midfielder Mats Wieffer will be pushing for a spot in the starting lineup, possibly replacing either Jack Hinshelwood or Carlos Baleba. On the right wing, Simon Adingra will compete with Yankuba Minteh for a starting role. With Joao Pedro out, record signing Georginio Rutter is set to continue playing just behind striker Danny Welbeck.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Chelsea possible starting lineup:Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, Van Hecke, Estupinan; Hinshelwood, Baleba; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck
EXPERT PREDICTION
Chelsea 3-2 Brighton
The last four Premier League matchups between these two attack-focused sides have all featured at least three goals, and we could be in for another exciting game at Stamford Bridge this weekend.
Brighton’s skilled attackers are capable of troubling Chelsea and might break their run of three clean sheets. However, Chelsea's firepower should be enough to outscore their opponents and secure their first home league win of the season.
