Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea. Prediction and Preview. Probable Lineups, Team News, Stats, and more

Brighton & Hove Albion FC will host Chelsea FC in the English Premier League 34th-round match at the American Express Community’s Stadium. The fixture will take place on Thursday, May 16, beginning at 00:15 IST.

Parimatch News will tell you everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming match.

Brighton & Hove Albion News & Current Form: 

In 2017, the Seagulls achieved their pinnacle moment by securing the second spot in the Championship and ascending to the Premier League. The club’s return to the top tier of English football had been awaited for over 30 years. Since then, Brighton have continued to progress and have evolved into a solid mid-table team, contending for European qualification. In the 2022/2023 season, under the successful stewardship of Roberto De Zerbi as head coach, the team finished sixth in the table, earning a spot in the UEFA Europa League.

However, in the current campaign, the team’s performance has not been particularly impressive, sitting comfortably in 10th place after 36 matches played, accumulating 48 points from 12 wins and 12 draws. Brighton’s attackers have breached opposition defenses 54 times this season, with their forward, Joao Pedro, leading the team’s goal-scoring charts with 20 goals. Conversely, De Zerbi’s proteges have conceded 58 goals.

Joao Pedro – top scorer of Brighton and Hove Albion FC with 20 goals to his name

Having fallen out of contention for European qualification, the Seagulls now eagerly await the end of what has been a disappointing season for them. This downturn is reflected in their recent results, as they have failed to win any of their last six league matches (2 draws and 4 defeats). They suffered a significant defeat against Arsenal FC (0:3), displaying a disjointed attacking performance and porous defense, allowing the Londoners to score a couple more goals comfortably.

Following that, they managed a draw (1:1) away to relegation-bound Burnley FC, where both teams found the net late in the game: the hosts opened the scoring in the 74th minute, only for the visitors to equalize through an auto goal by Arijanet Muric in the 79th minute.

Subsequently, the southerners suffered heavy defeats against Manchester City (0:4) and AFC Bournemouth (0:3), with Enes Unal bagging a brace and Justin Kluivert adding a precise strike. Two weeks ago, in the 36th round of the Premier League, Brighton hosted Aston Villa FC, ending their winless streak in the league with a 1:0 victory.

In their last played match against Newcastle United FC of Eddie Howe, which ended in a 1:1 draw, Joel Veltman opened the scoring for Brighton in the 18th minute before being forced off with an injury. The Magpies leveled the score late in the first half through Sean Longstaff scoring the second and final goal of the match.

In general, after their inconsequential victory over AS Roma with a score of 1:0 in the UEL round of 16, Brighton have only managed to gather six points out of a possible 24 in the Premier League, greatly hampering De Zerbi’s chances of career advancement.

The team still has a considerable number of absentees: Joao Pedro suffered an ankle injury during training before the trip to Newcastle. Solly March, Kaoru Mitoma, Jack Hinshelwood, James Milner and Evan Ferguson will also miss the midweek fixture.

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Chelsea News & Current Form: 

Despite significant investments in bolstering Chelsea’s squad during the offseason, the team initially evoked only negative emotions. The efforts of Mauricio Pochettino were hampered by the lack of chemistry and frequent injuries. There was a looming possibility that the Blues could finish the season perilously close to the relegation zone.

However, swift progress in recent matches and positive shifts have sparked considerable surprise. While other teams in the upper echelons of the table drop points, the Aristocrats are exhibiting classy football and accruing points. They have surged to seventh place in the league table, level on points with Newcastle. Thus, if the Magpies falter and Chelsea continues to gather points, they could secure a place in the UEFA Europa Conference League for the next season.

In their last five matches, the Blues have played three London derbies. They suffered a heavy defeat to Arsenal (0:5) initially, but then bounced back with victories against Tottenham Hotspur FC (2:0) and West Ham United FC (5:0). However, Pochettino’s side still lacks consistency. One need only recall how they thrashed Everton FC with a score of 6:0, only to succumb to the Gunners in the next round.

Approaching the game against Brighton, Chelsea are in good spirits, having snatched a victory against Nottingham Forest FC (3:2) in their last played match. The game was highly entertaining and kept viewers on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.

The match kicked off with a goal from Mykhailo Mudryk, capitalizing on the exquisite pass from Cole Palmer, but the opponent responded with a precise strike from Willy Boly within 8 minutes. In the second half, the Trees took the lead through Callum Hudson-Odoi, much to Chelsea’s dismay.

However, the final word belonged to the visitors, as Mudryk made way for Raheem Sterling, who leveled the score at 2:2. Reece James marked his return from a serious injury with an assist to Nicolas Jackson, who completed the Blues’ comeback and extended their winning streak to three consecutive victories.

Palmer’s performance is particularly commendable: in the last nine Premier League matches, he has scored 11 goals and provided one assist. During this time, the 22-year-old Englishman has registered a brace, a hat-trick, and a poker. When a youngster missed a match, Pochettino urged his players to prove that they are not solely reliant on him. This challenge came in the form of the match against Arsenal (0:5), which they failed to overcome.

“We have two challenging matches ahead, and our focus is on securing sixth place – that’s our target,” Palmer stated.

“We’re aiming to help Chelsea return to European competition. Securing a crucial win was essential for us, especially after falling behind. It’s satisfying to earn three points.”

“I’m relishing my time on the pitch; that’s why I came here – to play football. I’m taking each game as it comes, staying grounded, working hard, and staying focused.”

“As a team, we’re starting to develop chemistry, and I believe next season, everyone will witness our true potential.”

Chelsea captain Reece James has returned to the pitch after a lengthy recovery

However, another player has started to make an impact. Nicolas Jackson found the back of the net against Tottenham and Nottingham Forest, as well as scoring a brace against West Ham. It’s evident that the Blues are heading in the right direction.

It is expected that Chelsea will be without six players for this game: Ben Chilwell, Robert Sanchez, Carney Chukwuemeka, Romeo Lavia, Wesley Fofana, and Enzo Fernandez.

Brighton & Hove Albion form guide: L-D-L-L-W-D

Chelsea form guide: L-L-D-W-W-W

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea Head-To-Head Record:

• April 15, 2023: Chelsea 1 – 2 Brighton (Premier League);
• September 27, 2023: Chelsea 1 – 0 Brighton (League Cup);
• December 3, 2023: Chelsea 3 – 2 Brighton (Premier League).

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea Predicted XI:

Brighton & Hove Albion’s possible starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Lamptey, Dunk, Webster, Igor; Gilmour, Gross; Adingra, Buonanotte, Fati; Welbeck.

Chelsea’s possible starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Gallagher; Sterling, Palmer, Mudryk; Jackson.

Statistical preview of the match Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea:

• Brighton’s First XI average age is 26.7 years, and Chelsea’s First XI average age is 25.0 years.
• The total value of hosts’ squad is 505 mln euros, while the total of the guests comes up to 928 mln euros.
• Michael Salisbury has been appointed as the center referee. The match official has already served 18 games this season, showing an average of 3.5 yellow cards and also whistles 23 fouls per game. 
• Chelsea are unbeaten in 6 of their last 8 away games against this opponent.
• In the last 5 games, Chelsea scored an average of 2.40 goals per game and conceded an average of 1.80 goals per game.
• In their last 5 games, Brighton conceded an average of 1.80 goals per game and scored an average of 0.60 goals per game.
• Chelsea have won just one of their last 5 Premier League away games.
• Brighton & Hove Albion have won just one of their last 5 home matches against Chelsea.
• Brighton & Hove Albion have conceded at least one goal against Chelsea in their last 6 home matches.

What has been said before the match:

Roberto De Zerbi, the gaffer of the Seagulls, reflects on their recent match against Newcastle with a focus on the team’s performance and aspirations for the rest of the season:

“To finish in the top ten would be a great result, and I think better than last season because we have had a lot of injuries and we have played in the Europa League,” said De Zerbi.  

“I’m really pleased with the performance today, we played against one of the best teams in terms of physical condition at this moment. In this stadium the atmosphere is incredible, the level of difficulty of this game was high. But we played in our style, with courage and ideas.

“We are not in the best moment in my time but we have to play with personality and ideas and I’m pleased we did that today. We suffered in the last 25 minutes and their four changes made a difference. But we have to be proud of the performance. We have two tough home games, but we would like to finish in the top ten.”

Mauricio Pochettino, the Blues’ coach, discusses their match against Nottingham Forest:

We scored a goal and then we conceded a goal that they cannot score in that way. “Then it was really tough and it was an even game. We were controlling the game but they were very dangerous in transition and had very good players that go into transition so fast, and we took some risks and they created some chances.”

“Always you need talented players and players from the bench who make a big impact like they did today and be a bit lucky to win games. Today we had all the ingredients.”

“I am happy because the important thing is to always believe and never give up. The team showed resilience and maturity to fight until the end. That is why I am so pleased. Maybe we didn’t perform like we did against West Ham or Tottenham but in this type of game, you need to be more mature and play another type of football that is important too if you want to be in a higher position in the table.”

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea Prediction:

Last weekend Brighton greatly helped Chelsea by snatching a point from Newcastle (1:1). Now, the London club is approaching the game against the Seagulls with a real chance of getting into the Eurocups next season – 3 consecutive victories of Pochettino’s team speak volumes about their good form. If the Londoners finish sixth and Man City win the FA Cup, the Blues could even qualify for the UEFA Europa League, which will be considered a success by the club’s management. So Mauricio Pochettino will get additional credibility and time to complete the rebuilding process. The season needs to end on a positive note, and the Aristocrats’ motivation to do so is immeasurable. 

A draw with the Black and Whites allowed Brighton to return to the top 10 of the Premier League, but it’s hardly meaningful for a club with such ambitions, as there is nothing left to fight for this season and, by and large, the results of the remaining matches don’t carry any significance. Brighton’s defence is not considered reliable this season (1.6 goals conceded on average), and the trip to the Magpies did not leave De Dzerby’s team without another injury in this line – before the break Lamptey had to replace the main defender Veltman. Now the Gulls have as many as 9 core players sidelined. At the same time, the offensive line is struggling as the season progresses: Brighton has averaged 1.5 goals per game, but now the attack is all but dull: the Blue and Whites have netted only 3 goals in the last 5 rounds – 20th in the EPL in that stretch.

In contrast, Chelsea’s attack remains their stronghold, with the Londoners having already scored 73 goals in the current season (an average of 2 per game). Over the last 10 years, the team have scored more only in the 21/22 campaign (76.. This spring, Chelsea left the field without goals or points only in the game against title-contending Arsenal (0:5). That frustrating defeat helped Cole Palmer and his teammates to reset and now they have gained commendable momentum winning their last 3 matches with a combined score 10:2. Key to these results is that the defence has found some reliability and stability that was previously sorely lacking. In the last meeting with Notts Forest, Reece James, who has returned to action, assisted on Jackson’s winning goal (3:2), while in 90 minutes the Blues created a remarkable 1.81 xG. 

Delivering 2 wins over Brighton in the 1st half of the season (1-0 in the League Cup and 3-2 in the EPL), Chelsea are considered a favourite to win in this clash. The Blues desperately seek all three points, while the injury-plagued Seagulls are simply waiting for the season to end without any palpable incentivisation. 

Parimatch News staff prediction:

We say: Chelsea will win with a handicap (0) – Yes.

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