BIG-SPENDING Chelsea are out to prove they can be title contenders this season after a positive first year in charge for boss Frank Lampard.
The Blues, who start on Monday night away to Brighton, secured a top-four finish and were runners-up in the FA Cup.
Having splashed out heavily on Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva, the stakes have been raised and Lampard needs to deliver.
German pair Werner and Havertz – who scored 52 goals between them last season – are the only new recruits set to feature for Chelsea against a Brighton side also looking to kick on from last season.
Graham Potter steered the Seagulls to 15th place in his debut campaign in charge, securing safety with two games to spare, and the addition of Ajax defender Joel Veltman and Liverpool playmaker Adam Lallana look a couple of canny signings.
Lallana and centre-back Ben White, who shone on loan at Leeds last season, look set to be handed debuts against the Blues.
The sides faced each other at the Amex just a couple of weeks ago, replicating the result of last season's meeting with a 1-1 draw in a friendly played in front of 2,500 fans.
How do the bookies view it?
Chelsea are fancied to make a winning start, with Lampard's men a biggest 13-20 at Unibet. Brighton, whose only victory over the Blues came way back in their first meeting in 1933, are 9-2 at BetVictor, while the draw pays 10-3 at bet365.
Betting angles
Chelsea ended last season wobbly on the road, winning just two of their last nine away outings int he Premier League. And across the whole campaign they kept only one clean sheet on their travels.
Brighton were hardly prolific on home soil, drawing a blank in four of their final six games, but it's a fresh start and the Blues are there to be shot at. So the 5-6 on offer at Betway for both teams to net is not be sniffed at.
Even if they concede, the Blues' frightening array of firepower ought to shoot them to victory. Havertz looks a particularly exciting recruit – and tempts at 19-10 with Betway to score on his debut – while a Chelsea win and over 1.5 goals looks a solid option at 19-20 with Betfred.
And for a more speculative punt, how about home defender Lewis Dunk to be carded. The 31-year-old – who'll have his work cut out with the pacy Werner buzzing around him – was Brighton's most cautioned player last season with nine yellows in 36 league games. He's worth a look at 13-5 with William Hill.
This English Premier League match between Brighton and Chelsea will be played on Sep 14, 2020 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Brighton vs Chelsea prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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