Two teams on extreme opposite runs of form will clash on Tuesday night as Brighton prepare to host a struggling Chelsea at the Amex Stadium.
Brighton are coming off a thrilling 2-2 draw with Tottenham over the weekend, courtesy of goals by Kaoru Mitoma and substitute Georginio Rutter. The result leaves them in ninth place with 47 points.
Meanwhile, Chelsea suffered their fourth consecutive defeat in a 1-0 loss to Manchester United on Saturday. This is the first time the Blues have lost four straight games without scoring a goal since 1912.
Only three points separate seven teams from sixth to 12th place on the log, increasing Chelsea’s desperation if they are to have a realistic chance of playing European football next season.
Brighton are looking for a fourth consecutive win against Chelsea for the first time in their history. The Seagulls stunned 10-man Chelsea with a 3-1 away victory in the reverse fixture last September.
Can Liam Rosenior’s charges bounce back with a win here or will it be five straight losses for the Blues? We offer our predicted outcome after analysis on both teams.
What time does Brighton vs Chelsea start?
The match kicks off at 10PM E.A.T
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Brighton vs Chelsea team news
The home team lost Mitoma and Diego Gomez at the weekend with injuries, with the pair being assessed ahead of the match. In their absence, Rutter may be called upon to start here.
The Brazilian has scored in six of his last seven games and will support Danny Welbeck up front.
Yankuba Minteh and Pascal Gross will also retain their spots in the starting XI, with no other changes expected.
For the visitors, it got from bad to worse with Enzo Fernandez and Estevao also subbed off with injuries. Alejandro Garnacho and Romeo Lavia will be included in the starting XI.
Joao Pedro remains injured and will not face his former employers, meaning Liam Delap will get the nod again.
Brighton vs Chelsea head-to-head and current form
There has not been a stalemate between these two sides in the recent past, with Brighton winning the last three games against Chelsea.
The Blues won the two prior to that in their recent run of five head-to-head matches.
The Seagulls have lost just one of their last five matches – winning three and drawing once. Chelsea on the other hand have lost four and lost once in that run.
Current form:
Brighton – DWWWL
Chelsea – LLWLL
Brighton vs Chelsea previous games
Brighton vs Chelsea prediction
The last six games between these two sides have produced over 2.5 goals and the same can be expected here.
Judging by the form Brighton are in, they are tipped as favorites to avoid defeat here – however, Chelsea may push for a draw.
Prediction – Over 2.5 goals – CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!