Chelsea suffered a heavy blow in the last round of the league, they lost to Newcastle United 1-4 at home. In that match, Chelsea had 45% possession and 7 shots, 4 of which were on target. Raheem Sterling scored a goal for Chelsea in the 23rd minute. Newcastle United, on the other hand, took 14 shots, five of which were on target, with Alexander Isaacs, Jamal Lascelles, Warrington and Anthony Gordon each scoring.
In recent matches, Chelsea have rarely been able to keep their defense solid throughout the game. Facts show that in 5 out of the last 6 games Chelsea's defense has been breached, conceding a total of 13 goals.
In contrast, Brighton's form is relatively solid. Brighton's most recent Europa League match was a 1-0 win over AEK Athens, in which Brighton had 44% possession and 9 shots, 2 of which were on target. Joao Pedro scored the only goal for Brighton in the 55th minute. AEK Athens, on the other hand, took 19 shots, 5 of which were on target.
In the last 6 games there have usually been few goals scored between Brighton and their opponents. The average number of goals scored per game is 2.5 and Brighton's average is 1.67. We will soon find out if this trend will end here.
Looking back at the most recent all-time meetings between the two teams, since April 20, 2021, Chelsea have won 1, Brighton have won 2, and there have been 3 draws between the two sides.
A total of 13 goals have been scored by both teams in these matches, with Chelsea scoring 5 and Brighton scoring 8. The average number of goals per game is 2.17.
In team news regarding Chelsea, Romeo Lavia (fitness issue), Trevor Chalobah (thigh issue), Ben Chilwell (hamstring injury), Kani Chukwuemeka (knee injury), Wesley Fofana (ACL tear) and Christopher Nkunku (fitness issue) will all be unavailable to play for Chelsea, and Reece James and Mark Cucuerelia, due to suspensions, will also be unavailable to play. Chelsea are expected to go with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with starters including Robert Sanchez, Axel Di Sassi, Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiazile, Levi Colville, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, Raheem Sterling and Nicholas Jackson.
As for Brighton, we think they may opt for a 4-2-3-1 formation with starters including Bart Verbruggen, Joel Fetterman, Jane-Paul van Hecke, Igor, Jack Hinshelwood, Pascal Gross, Billy Gilmour, Simon Ardingerra, Joao Pedro, Methylamine Medon and Evan Ferguson.
