Last updated & checked: 10/08/2021
While Chelsea haven’t quite lived up to their potential thus far this season, they’re still doing quite a bit better than Brighton, who currently sit just above the relegation zone. There’s little doubt that Chelsea will be a very steep challenge.
However, recent victories over Huddersfield, Millwall and Crystal Palace show that there’s plenty of fight left in them. Although, their most recent outing – a loss to Southampton – makes it clear they still have a lot of issues to iron out.
Their opponents aren’t perfect either though, as their recent loss to Everton showed. That being said, they do succeed more often than they fail, toppling the likes of Fulham and Tottenham. They also come into this match with a win over Cardiff for good measure. While the expectations for each may be different, it’s fair to say both have fallen a touch short this year but still have plenty of positives to keep fans optimistic.
Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion Prediction: Chelsea 2-0 Brighton
This one is fairly straightforward. While there are positives for both, there are more for the home team. And although neither has quite matched expectations, the bar was set higher for Chelsea. Not only that but Sarri has the benefit of having an almost fully fit squad, with only a couple of lesser-known players having some doubts. Meanwhile, Brighton are still struggling with the injuries of Florin Andone and Pascal Groß. All this – alongside the home-field advantage, which has been a big indicator for success for Chelsea – means we think they’ll come away with a strong 2-0 victory here.
Our recommended tip: Chelsea win to nil
Chelsea are the clear favourites coming into this contest. The home side enjoy a significant 76% win probability to Brighton & Hove Albion’s 7%. In fact, a draw is more probable than an away win at 17%. Therefore, a bet on the favourites is a safe one, with Paddy Power offering low-risk 2/9 Chelsea match odds. However, considering that Chelsea have maintained a clean sheet in two of their last five games – and that Brighton just lost 1-0 to a team below them in the Premier League – we recommend predicting that Chelsea will win to nil. Paddy Power are offering low-risk 5/6 odds on this result.
Previous matches
It’s bad news for Brighton. In the 10 matches they’ve had against Chelsea, they’ve only managed to secure victory once. And that was on the very first occasion back in 1933. Their second match in 1967 was also their second most successful, going to a 1-1 draw in the FA Cup.
Ever since then, whether it’s been in the League Division Two or the Premier League, history has always been on the side of Chelsea. Their last encounter was a close one though, with Chelsea scraping by with a 2-1 victory in December 2018. However, there’s little else for Brighton fans to find optimism in.
Top 3 Premier League Bookies
Players to watch: Eden Hazard & Glenn Murray
Chelsea: Eden Hazard
While much of the talk about Eden Hazard has been surrounding his potential transfer, he still has work to do for Chelsea before any possible moves. He last hit the back of the net against Wolves. And despite failing to make the difference against Everton and Cardiff, we think he’ll pose a significant threat to Brighton’s defences. Of course, their opponents know all that, considering Hazard was directly involved in no less than four goals in their last two games.
Brighton: Glenn Murray
He may be a pretty standard choice when it comes to players to watch for virtually any Brighton game but it’s not without good reason. Murray is peerless on the squad in terms of goals scored. His closest competition is Shane Duffy, who has less than half his numbers. Against a team like Chelsea, you need to bring out the big guns and for Brighton, there’s no more deadly shooter than Glenn Murray.
