Date: Saturday 28th
September 2024
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
After an uninspiring start under Maresca, our last few games
have felt a lot more positive, winning the last 3 and bagging 9 goals. It’s
important to temper any over-confidence with a reality check on the opposition
faced in those games, however. It was a marginal, and late, win against
Bournemouth, West Ham offered nothing against us, and 5-0 is the sort of
scoreline most Premier League sides would expect against Barrow.
This afternoon’s game sees us play host to Brighton at
Stamford Bridge. Without doubt after losing to us home and away last season they’ll
want to straighten that out given the opportunity and they’ve yet to lose this
season. For Chelsea, meanwhile, we should concentrate on trying to keep all our
players on the pitch against them this time.
Whilst we’ve played some really good football for our recent
wins, we do need to work on sustaining focus for the entirety of a game to
maintain the clean sheets we’ve also seen in our last 3 games. We also need more
than half an eye on Welbeck who loves a goal against us!
.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into
today’s game, Enzo Maresca says “The focus is just about the game. If we are
able to win, it is important to continue with that momentum. I will be happy to
share three points with the fans at home. It’s always important to win games to
give us energy, confidence and trust. Sometimes even when you don’t win, you
play some good games and you have to focus on that. It sometimes happens on the
other side when you win games and you don’t deserve. The main thing, for sure,
the results are important but it is to see how we progress.
Hurzeler is
doing a fantastic job. I watched also some games from last season when he was
in Germany and you can clearly see the idea. When you join a club where the
previous manager was playing more or less the same idea, that helps a lot.”
Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler, meanwhile, says “On one side, you have to analyse [Chelsea] by what they do tactically and they have good solutions with a great goalkeeper who starts trying to build the game from the back with his feet. Besides the technical things, they have great individual players, so you have to focus on not creating a mismatch and try to bring in players into personal duels that you think will be a good match. It’s important to find a good solution with the ball. You can’t go there to only defend – you have to have a lot of courage with the ball.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Chelsea, Reece James (hamstring)
remains out as our only absentee, with Romeo Lavia now available again.
For Brighton, Matt O’Riley (ankle), Solly
March knee) and James Milner (thigh) are all out and Joao Pedro is reportedly struggling with an injury sustained against
Nottingham Forest. Yasin Ayari is back in contention after a bout of illness.
TEAMS
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill,
Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson
BRIGHTON (Possible line-up): Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, Van Hecke, Estupinan; Hinshelwood, Baleba;
Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Welbeck
LAST SEASON
Chelsea 3-2 Brighton (3rd
December 2023)
CURRENT FORM (PL)
CHELSEA: LWDWW
BRIGHTON: WWDDD
OTHER STUFF
- Chelsea won all three competitive games versus
Brighton last season.
- Brighton have won just one of their 11
competitive away fixtures against Chelsea (15 April 2023).
- Chelsea have only lost two of their last 20
league games.
- Brighton are on their longest unbeaten run
from the beginning of a top-flight season.
- Chelsea come into the game with 2 clean sheets
but haven’t kept three consecutive clean sheets in the top flight since
January to February 2023.
- Brighton are without a win in eight Premier
League visits to the capital since May 2023.
- Brighton have drawn each of their last three
top-flight games.
PREDICTION
Sportsmole: Chelsea 2-1 Brighton
