Premier League
Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion Preview
- Date: Apr. 3, 2019
- Time: 2:45 p.m. (est)
- Network: NBCS, UNIVERSO
- Location: London, England
- Venue: Stamford Bridge
- Seating Capacity: 41,631
Chelsea looks to continue their streak when they host Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
The Blues are coming off a dramatic 2-1 victory in Wales with several stars, including Eden Hazard on the bench.
Meanwhile, Brighton & Hove Albion sit 15th in the Premier League standings. The Seagulls are coming off a 1-0 defeat to Southampton this past weekend. However, they are five points clear of the relegation zone.
Nonetheless, Maurizio Sarri remains questioned after recent performances in the English top-flight.
A win or draw would put the Blues back in the fourth position, topping Manchester United who stumbled against Wolverhampton on Tuesday.
Team News
Sarri will have a full complement of players heading into this matchup against Brighton. However, left-back Marcos Alonso will likely be out with a hamstring injury.
Sarri has drawn lots of criticism from fans for his rather unstable lineups. However, he will likely feature Hazard and N’Golo Kante back in the lineup. Ruben Loftus-Cheek has a chance to continue shining for the Blues as well.
Meanwhile, Chris Hughton will be without Pascal Gross due to a hamstring problem. Nevertheless, Hughton may choose to rest players ahead of their FA semifinal game against Manchester City on Saturday.
Previous Encounters
The last time the two sides met, Chelsea took a 1-2 victory with goals from Pedro and Hazard.
Additionally, Chelsea have won all seven previous league meetings where they have an aggregate of 14-2 goals.
Brighton have lost their previous four trips to Stamford Bridge in league and cup competition.
Predicted Line-Ups
Chelsea XI: Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Rudiger, Emerson; Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho, Kante; Willian, Higuain, Hazard.
Brighton XI: Ryan; Montoya, Dunk, Duffy, Bernardo; Propper, Stevens, Bissouma; Knockaert, Murray, Jahanbakhsh.
Match Prediction
Despite recent criticism, Chelsea’s has a much stronger side. However, a repeat of their narrow win against Cardiff, will put a much heavier weight on the players and coach. A win will calm the storm as they have a good opportunity to get back to the top four.
Meanwhile, Brighton are looking at the bright side having reached the FA semifinals. With this in mind, the Seagulls will likely have their mind already set for Saturday’s matchup.
Nonetheless, the Blues have a much greater chance at a win at home.
Prediction: Chelsea 2 – 1 Brighton
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