Chelsea host Brighton & Hove Albion in a Premier League clash on Sunday with both teams still looking to find some traction for their campaign. Brighton have been plagued by too many draws lately and with Chelsea still looking unconvincing, a closely fought encounter could be on the cards.
Chelsea are coming off a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United in their previous Premier League fixture. They went into the break level after Raheem Sterling’s free-kick cancelled out the Magpies’ early opener but ultimately capitulated in the second half.
That was a return to default settings for Chelsea, who picked up two wins and a draw from the previous three matches across all competitions. They had claimed a 4-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur and played out a 4-4 draw with Manchester City in that run and will be keen to channel those performances on Sunday.
The last two matches highlight a defensive problem for Chelsea , who have conceded eight goals across both fixtures. Mauricio Pochettino’s men are also winless in their last five Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge, although they did claim a 1-0 victory over Brighton in the League Cup earlier in the season.
Brighton are coming off a victory in their previous Premier League fixture as they triumphed 3-2 at Nottingham Forest. They fought back from a goal down to claim the win with Evan Ferguson netting the equaliser midway through the second half while Joao Pedro netted a brace after the break.
The Seagulls followed up that result with a 1-0 victory at AEK Athens on Thursday to progress from the group stage of the Europa League. Roberto De Zerbi’s men are now unbeaten in their last six matches across all competitions, playing out three draws in that run.
The Draws have been a major problem for Brighton as they have been held four times in their last six Premier League matches. These results have been due to an inability to keep things tight at the back and also hold on to leads as they are yet to see out a single clean sheet in the Premier League this season.
Hoe the bookies view it
Chelsea have been installed as overwhelming favourites among the bookies with a home win priced at 3/4 by Unibet. A victory for Brighton is valued at 3/2 by 888Sport while bet365 is offering odds of 10/2 for a draw.
Head to head
Chelsea have an 8-3 advantage with five draws from 16 previous matches against Brighton. The Blues have already beaten the Seagulls this season, claiming a 1-0 victory in a League Cup clash back in September.
Players to watch
Raheem Sterling has been in good form for Chelsea in recent weeks, scoring three goals in his last four matches across all competitions. The forward could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime at 15/8 with bet365.
Joao Pedro has also caught the eye for Brighton in recent matches with three goals in his last two away matches. The forward will be the one to watch for the Seagulls and is priced at 10/3 by bet365 to find the net on Sunday.
Anything else catch the eye
Chelsea and Brighton each saw over 3.5 goals last time out in the Premier League and a repeat is priced at 11/8 by BoyleSports. There were second half goals for both teams in Chelsea’s last home fixture and Sunday’s clash could be tipped to follow a similar pattern at 7/4 with bet365.
There have been halftime draws in the last three meetings between Chelsea and Brighton and a similar outcome is valued at 13/10 with Coral.
This English Premier League match between Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion will be played on Dec 3, 2023 and kick off at 14:00. 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.
