Chelsea Aims for Third Win in a Row vs. Brighton

Chelsea will host Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon, as Xabi Alonso’s team seeks to secure their third consecutive win since he took charge.

The Blues have started strong in this new phase, winning against Fulham 3-2 in their opening Premier League match and defeating Luton Town 2-0 in the Carabao Cup. Goals from Joao Pedro, Morgan Rogers, and Cole Palmer were pivotal in the victory over Fulham, while Danny Welbeck found the net against his old club before an own goal secured advancement in the cup tie against Luton.

Brighton has enjoyed a robust performance at the beginning of the season as well. Fabian Hurzeler’s squad overwhelmed Aston Villa 4-0 and later triumphed 4-0 over Tromso to advance in the Conference League. The Seagulls have scored eight straight goals in their last two matches.

Chelsea will need to be cautious considering Brighton’s strong recent form against them, having fallen short in their last four encounters. This includes a 3-0 loss in April and a 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge in September.

Overall, Chelsea maintains an edge in their historical matchup, having won 16 of the 27 matches played against Brighton, with the latter securing six victories, and five matches ending in a draw.

Team News

Chelsea is hopeful that Moises Caicedo will return after missing the initial two wins due to a training injury. Marco Palestra and Jordan Henderson remain out, while Wesley Fofana is set to return after his suspension.

Enzo Fernandez might again be left out due to ongoing transfer talk, while Robert Sanchez is anticipated to keep his place in goal.

Brighton has concerns over the fitness of Jack Hinshelwood and Georginio Rutter. Should Rutter not be available, Matt O’Riley could step in for Hinshelwood, while Charalampos Kostoulas or Promise David may take on an attacking role.

Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma, Stefanos Tzimas, and Evan Ferguson will not play.