FRANK LAMPARD'S Chelsea return hasn't gone to plan so far and he needs to find a way to get them scoring again when in-form Brighton and Hove Albion come calling in the Premier League.
It was a major surprise when Lampard came back for a second spell in charge as interim boss after Blues chiefs pulled the plug on Graham Potter just months into his five-year deal.
The club legend was charged with halting Chelsea's slump down the Premier League table while plotting an unlikely path to glory in the Champions League.
He faces an uphill task in the second of those tasks after losing 2-0 to Real Madrid in the first leg of their quarter-final, with both myself and Mark cashing in by backing the Spanish giants for a comfortable victory.
Now it's back to league business ahead of next week's Euro return in London and Lampard must end a drought that has seen the Blues go four games without a goal for the first time since 1993.
But they won't find it easy against a Brighton side who have gone from strength to strength since Potter left for Stamford Bridge and handed the reins to Roberto De Zerbi.
The Italian inherited a talented squad but has taken them to another level, with the Seagulls losing just two of their last 16 matches. One of those defeats came at Spurs last weekend but it was hugely controversial as Brighton had two goals ruled out and should have been awarded a penalty for a foul on Kaoru Mitoma.
That damaged their bid for a shock top-four finish but the season could still end in glory for Brighton with an FA Cup semi-final on the horizon against Manchester United.
How the bookies view it
Chelsea would normally be heavy favourites at home to Brighton and Hove Albion but the form of both sides has made the bookies more cautious. The Blues are a best 17/10 at Betfair while Brighton's best price is 7/4 at Midnite and the draw pays 5/2 at QuinnBet.
Recent head to head
The Seagulls battered Chelsea 4-1 at the Amex earlier this season and have gone four games without defeat in this fixture, with the other three matches drawn. But Brighton have never tasted victory at Stamford Bridge, drawing twice and losing the other six matches.
Players to watch
Raheem Sterling looked lively in spells against Real Madrid and the England winger could be a key man for Lampard until the end of the season if he stays fit. He's 16/5 at Paddy Power for anytime scorer and McBookie price him at 17/4 for an assist.
Japanese winger Mitoma has been one of the revelations of the Premier League season and could get some joy against Chelsea's defence. He has 13 goals for the season and is 3/1 at Bet365 to add to that tally. Unibet also price him at 49/50 just to have a shot on target and that looks good value.
Anything else catch the eye?
Chelsea's goal drought can't go on forever so I'm going to take a punt on this one being a thriller. We saw five goals in the last meeting so I like over 2.5 strikes in this one at 10/11 with Paddy Power while BTTS is shorter at a best 13/17 with VBet.
With Brighton and Hove Albion in such good form, I fancy them to take something from the Bridge. The odds aren't great in the double chance at just 8/15 (LiveScoreBet) but backing the Seagulls to win either half is better at 10/11 (William Hill).
De Zerbi always send his side out to attack and that makes over 4.5 Brighton shots on target worth a look at 23/20 with Unibet.
This English Premier League match between Chelsea and Brighton and Hove Albion will be played on Apr 15, 2023 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Chelsea vs Brighton and Hove Albion prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
I think an over for me would work so…
CHELSEA UNDER 1.5
BRIGHTON OVER 0.5
CORNERS OVER 7.5
DOUBLE CHANCE 1/2
D/C TOTAL CHELSEA/BRIGHTON AND UNDER 3.5
Worked out well for us both, well done Marosta