Chelsea welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday as both sides aim to build on Boxing Day wins.
The Blues beat Aston Villa 3-1 on Sunday. As a result, they sit third in the Premier League table – level with second-place Liverpool on 41 points and six points ahead of fourth-place Arsenal.
Come for Jorgi's penalty, stay for Reece's rocket! 🚀Matchday minus one! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/Bf4uMLlgPZ— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 28, 2021
Come for Jorgi's penalty, stay for Reece's rocket! 🚀Matchday minus one! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/Bf4uMLlgPZ
Meanwhile, the Seagulls claimed a 2-0 victory over Brentford. They now find themselves ninth in the standings – 18 points behind Chelsea.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are currently enjoying a four-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League, having picked up two wins and two draws since their last loss.
Thanks to a Champions League draw and a victory in the EFL Cup, Chelsea have also avoided defeat in each of their previous six games across all competitions.
Better still, the Blues haven’t lost any of their last nine home games and have lost just six of their previous 45 clashes at Stamford Bridge.
Not only are Chelsea the third-highest scorers in the Premier League (42), but they also boast the second-best defensive record (13).
On the flip side, Brighton claimed an impressive victory over Brentford last time out – with Leandro Trossard and Neal Maupay grabbing the goals.
It is worth pointing out, however, that Graham Potter’s men have only managed to win one of their past 13 games in all competitions.
Although the Seagulls have lost just three of their last 16 outings, they have struggled to turn draws into wins.
On a separate note, trends show that each of Brighton’s previous seven Premier League matches have produced under 2.5 goals.
Head-to-head: Brighton have failed to beat Chelsea since they returned to the Premier League back in 2017.
Across the past four seasons, the Blues have claimed six wins and two draws against the Seagulls. It is worth noting, however, that two of the last three meetings have ended in a draw.
Team news: Chelsea will be without the injured Thiago Silva on Wednesday, while N’Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are also doubts.
As for Brighton, Lewis Dunk, Jeremy Sarmiento, Joel Veltman and Shane Duffy are all expected to miss the trip to the capital due to injury.
Although Brighton have upped their game this season, they look set to struggle against a ruthless Chelsea outfit.
Forebet predicts that Chelsea will secure a clean-sheet victory over Brighton, scoring over 1.5 goals in the process.