Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea

Premier League Gameweek 25 gets underway at the Amex Stadium as Brighton & Hove Albion square off against Chelsea.

Brighton return to Premier League action for the first time since a scandalous 7-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest, seeking amends against a Chelsea side they defeated 2-1 on this ground in the FA Cup less than a week ago! Fabian Hurzeler’s men haven’t fared well in East Sussex lately, going winless in their last five home league outings (D3, L2) while averaging a measly 0.6 goals per game. Facing a high-profile opponent could be a blessing in disguise, considering the Seagulls have avoided defeat in all three home league matches against teams starting the round in the top four (W2, D1). However, they’ve often been slow out of the blocks, as evidenced by the fact they’re the only Premier League side yet to score inside the first 20 minutes of home league action this season.

Driven by revenge after being ousted from the FA Cup, Chelsea take this trip off the back of a 2-1 home win against West Ham in their last Premier League outing. Perched fourth in the standings, albeit only two points clear of fifth-placed Manchester City, Enzo Maresca’s charges are far from a purple patch, with their last four league games fluctuating between different outcomes (W2, D1, L1). Furthermore, they’ve hit a rotten patch on the road, going from five away wins in a row to an underwhelming five-game winless run (D2, L3), with each defeat seeing them concede 2+ goals. Despite last weekend’s slump at the Amex, the Blues should be confident of turning their fortunes around after winning four previous H2Hs.