Prediction: Chelsea vs Brighton

Verdict: Chelsea win & under four goals

Best Odds: 21/20

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Bookmaker: Unibet

Looking to keep up their chase in the title hunt, Chelsea will make their final appearance of 2021 when they host Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

Chelsea

Starting with the hosts, while Chelsea might have shown some recent inconsistencies over the past few weeks, the Blues would have simply been glad to have found a Boxing Day boost. Securing a turnaround 3-1 victory away at an Aston Villa, Thomas Tuchel’s men will now be desperate to make up some ground in the title chase. Opening the midweek round of fixtures sat six points adrift of defending champions Manchester City, the west London outfit will know that they can not afford many more slip-ups. Booking their spot in the semi-finals of this year’s EFL Cup last week as they secured a 2-0 win against Brentford on the road, Chelsea will be hoping they have put those back-to-back stalemates against Everton and Wolves behind them. Looking to lay down another marker on Wednesday night, the Blues should also be boosted by their record against Brighton in the capital. It should be noted that the defending European champions have collected 10 points from their four meetings against Brighton at Stamford Bridge.

Team News

Coming off the bench and finding the net against Aston Villa, Belgium international Romelu Lukaku will be hoping for a recall to Chelsea’s starting XI here.

However, the Blues have confirmed that both N’Golo Kante and Thiago Silva will miss out on Wednesday night with injury issues.

Brighton

As for the visitors, managing to bring an end to what was an extended blip on Boxing Day, there is no doubt that Brighton will be desperate to keep up that momentum here. Landing a 2-0 victory at home against Premier League debutants Brentford just a few days ago, that result was the Seagulls’ first victory from their last 13 matchups across all formats, a run that stemmed back to September 22nd. Looking to find some stability after what was a stunning start to the 2021/22 campaign, Graham Potter’s men have still shown some worrying issues on the road. Despite grabbing last-gasp points away at both West Ham and Southampton this month, the one-time Swansea boss has seen his side fail to win any of their seven contests away from the Amex. Despite ending their worrying run over the weekend, the south coast outfit could be bracing themselves for a tough test here.

Team News

The Trio of Jeremy Sarmiento, Lewis Dunk and Steven Alzate will all once again miss out on Wednesday night.

However, in what is a real boost for Brighton in midweek, midfield star Yves Bissouma can make his return following a suspension.

Key Factors to Consider

  • Chelsea have collected 10 points from their four Premier League meetings against Brighton at Stamford Bridge.
  • Four of the last five meetings between Wednesday’s opponents have finished with under 2.5 goals.
  • Brighton’s 2-0 win against Brentford on Boxing Day was their first win from any of their last 13 matchups across all formats.
  • Chelsea have kept just a single clean sheet from any of their last seven Premier League matchups.
  • The Seagulls have failed to win any of their previous seven away fixtures across all competitions.

Conclusion

While Brighton might have managed to end their extended blip on Boxing Day, the Seagulls should face a stern test here. With Chelsea desperate to make up some ground in the title chase, Thomas Tuchel’s men also managed to win their own boost over the weekend. Coming past Aston Villa thanks to a second-half flurry in the Midlands, Wednesday’s hosts will be boosted by their stellar record against Brighton on home soil. Landing 10 points from their four Premier League meetings at Stamford Bridge, we’re backing a similar home victory for the defending European champions here.

Verdict: Chelsea win & under four goals

Best Odds: 21/20

Bookmaker: Unibet

Source of the article

Author: XenBet