A Game of Reunions: Chelsea vs Brighton Match Preview
Chelsea are set to meet Brighton for the third time this year, and with Chelsea now having six former Brighton players in their first-team squad, it looks to be a battle of familiarity. Both teams have had rocky starts to the season, but will be looking to change things and hopefully bounce back.
A Defining Game for Enzo Maresca
This match is the definition of ‘sink or swim’ for Chelsea boss Maresca. He has just lost to a Manchester United team that is in shambles, could not beat Crystal Palace or Brentford, and just about scraped a 2-1 win against League One side Lincoln City.
With some key players out injured going into this match, the Italian needs to be bold – something he has failed to do so far this season.
Maresca is losing the fans again; the loss against Bayern was the catalyst, and now everyone is on his back. If he truly wants to elevate his reputation with the impatient fans, then a win here is a must. Being without Cole Palmer for three weeks is a huge test, but one that he must overcome if he wishes to show his adaptability. While Brighton thrashed Barnsley 6-0, the Blues were left barely fighting back against Lincoln, ending the game with fewer shots and corners than the League One team despite having 72% possession.
In short, something needs to change. having all that possession but still having fewer shots than the opposition is embarrassing and shows that Maresca’s system can be lethargic at times. Chelsea will not want their home clash with Brighton to be another disappointing occasion.
Current Form
Chelsea have had a lacklustre start to the season, especially considering how well they did during the Club World Cup and pre-season. Only winning two of their last five games in all competitions, Chelsea have some catching up to do and will want maximum points from this game. Despite this damning stat, the Blues have actually only lost one of their last 16 games at Stamford Bridge in all competitions, showing that their home ground is still a fortress.
Brighton have had an average start to the season, losing against Bournemouth and Everton but avoiding defeat in the rest of their five games so far, including a 2-1 win at home to Manchester City. They will hope to cause Chelsea some problems again, as both previous meetings between the two this year have ended in wins for the Seagulls. Head-to-head, however, the last time Brighton beat Chelsea away was in April 2023, with Chelsea winning all of their subsequent meetings, except for the two most recent matches.
READ MORE: Can Southampton End Middlesbrough’s Perfect Start?
Injuries and Suspensions
Chelsea:
- Colwill – ACL, expected back April 2026
- Guiu – Knock, doubtful
- Lavia – Muscle injury, doubtful
- Tosin – Calf injury, expected back mid-October
- Palmer – Groin injury, expected back mid-October
- Delap – Hamstring injury, expected back mid-November
- Essugo – Thigh injury, expected back late December
- Badiashile – Knock, doubtful
- Buonanotte – Suspended (loan – Brighton is parent club)
Brighton:
- Webster – Knee injury, expected back early January
- March – Knee injury, expected back early October
- Hinshelwood – Ankle injury, expected back late November
Tactical Setup and Predicted Lineups
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez, James, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella, Santos, Caicedo, Fernandez, Estevao, Garnacho, João Pedro
Brighton (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen, Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu, Ayari, Baleba, Gomez, Minteh, Mitoma, Rutter
Brighton will set up to hurt Chelsea in transition, as Hürzeler will know that his side will not be able to have the majority of possession. They will likely use a man-to-man press and target players with poor press resistance, such as Fernandez and Chalobah, then pair that with Rutter making runs up front, and they can cause some damage. Brighton will also look to exploit Chelsea’s weakness from set-piece situations with Van Hecke and Dunk, specifically with corners.
Rutter will look to drop back as a false 9, as Brighton will know that Chalobah often rushes out of defence and leaves his partner exposed. One way they can exploit this is by having Gomez, who will be the player to look out for following his four goals in his last match, run into the space left by Chalobah. Another weakness they could exploit from Chelsea is playing long balls, as Chalobah is relatively poor both in the air and with his back to the ball.
Chelsea will set up with an initial back four, with Cucurella pushing forward into the left half space on the attack. This gives Chelsea an extra man in attack while not losing anything in defence, as Reece James drops in as the third centre-back. It also lets Garnacho have creative licence on the left, as the Brighton defence will be occupied with marking everybody. Fernandez will play as the no. 10, and Santos could also push forward, creating an overload on the attack. The downside with this is that being caught on transition will be a problem, as the only man in midfield would be Caicedo.
Chelsea’s pressing is good, but a single mistake could leave them vulnerable to a counterattack from two fast wingers, so they will have to be more cautious against Brighton, especially considering how effective their counter-press is. Caicedo will be Chelsea’s key man and will have the task of keeping Diego Gomez quiet and stopping him from making runs. Reece James also has a challenge, as he has to deal with Mitoma, who has been a thorn in Chelsea’s side since he joined Brighton.
Score Prediction
Chelsea 1-1 Brighton
The two sides are definitely not evenly matched, but Chelsea’s woes continue, with Brighton leaving happy with one point. Having beaten Man City already this season, Brighton are not to be sniffed at, and we just don’t think Chelsea will be up for it.
