Chelsea will put aside their Premier League struggles as they welcome in-form Brighton & Hove Albion for a Carabao Cup third round clash on Wednesday. The Blues have been abysmal this season and should find things difficult against a confident Brighton side.
Chelsea are into the third round of the Carabao Cup after claiming a 2-1 victory over League Two side AFC Wimbledon. They fought back from a goal down with Noni Madueke getting the equaliser just before the break while Enzo Fernandez netted the winner midway through the second half.
That is only the second win across all competitions for Chelsea, who have struggled to find their best form this season. Mauricio Pochettino’s men have lost their last two matches at Stamford Bridge and were beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa last weekend.
While the performances and results have been poor, Chelsea have also been hampered by serious injury problems. Captain Reece James and summer signing Christopher Nkunku are among a lengthy list of players currently sidelined while right-back Malo Gusto is suspended following a straight red card against Aston Villa.
In contrast to Chelsea’s struggles, Brighton have been one of the more impressive teams this season and appear to have picked up where they left off last term. They drew a bye from the previous rounds and made their first appearance in the competition.
Brighton head into Wednesday’s clash off the back of a 3-1 victory over Bournemouth in a Premier League fixture. The fourth back from a goal down with Kaoru Mitoma’s second half brace helping them claim the victory.
The Seagulls have also impressed on their travels this season, winning their last three away matches, including a 3-1 victory at Manchester United. However, they remain suspect defensively and are yet to keep a single clean sheet across all competitions so far.
How the bookies view it
Despite their struggles this season, Chelsea still have the upper hand among the bookies at 13/10 with Paddy Power. A victory for Brighton is valued at 2/1 by BetVictor while William Hill is offering odds of 27/10 for a draw.
Head to head
Chelsea have a 7-3 advantage with five draws from 15 previous matches against Brighton. However, the Seagulls did the double over the Blues last season, winning 4-1 at home before claiming a 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.
Players to watch
Although Chelsea have struggled for goals this season, they will be keen to capitalise on Brighton’s defensive problems. Raheem Sterling appears to be their most potent attacker and is priced at 15/8 with bet365 to score anytime.
Joao Pedro came off the bench on Sunday and could be handed a start at Stamford Bridge. The forward has three goals in his last three matches and is priced at 11/4 by bet365 to maintain his scoring run.
Anything else catch the eye?
Brighton have seen over 3.5 goals in every single fixture across all competitions this season and could be set for a similar outcome at 7/4 with Paddy Power. They have also opened the scoring in their last three away matches and could be backed to grab the first goal on Wednesday at 6/5 with bet365.
The Seagulls have scored in both halves in their last three away matches and Wednesday’s clash could be set to follow a similar pattern at 5/2 with BoyleSports.
This EFL Cup match between Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion will be played on Sep 27, 2023 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
Chelsea of late is in a miserable form, and should not be counted upon, they have become the byword of the time, conceding or drawing in major of their games. The bettor should go for over 1.5 goals, Brighton is in an excellent form and have been scoring right forth and back both home and away.