Chelsea will look to put Saturday’s loss to Manchester City behind them and get back to winning ways when they travel to Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday.
The Blues’ 1-0 defeat by Manchester City all but put an end to their Premier League title challenge, as they slipped to third, a whopping 13 points behind the champions. The loss also snapped an 11-game unbeaten run for Chelsea in all competitions.
Brighton, meanwhile, have got their campaign back on track after a mid-season slump. They are unbeaten in their last five games, a run that includes their 1-1 draw with Chelsea in December. On that occasion, Danny Welbeck’s last-gasp header helped the Seagulls snatch a point at Stamford Bridge.
Brighton have never beaten Chelsea in a top-flight game and will be hoping to rewrite that statistic on Tuesday.
Brighton vs Chelsea – Team News
Brighton
Tariq Lamptey is expected to return to the Brighton lineup and will be hoping to deliver against his boyhood club. Adam Lallana faces a race against time to be fit after being forced off with an injury against Crystal Palace.
Midweek MATCHDAY at the Amex! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/RR10dDRBq0
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 18, 2022
Lewis Dunk is expected to miss out again due to a knee problem, while Yves Bissouma is unavailable due to the AFCON.
Chelsea
Edouard Mendy is away on international duty, while Reece James, Ben Chilwell and Trevor Chalobah are all out injured.
Andreas Christensen is unlikely to feature after recently contracting COVID-19, but Kai Havertz, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Timo Werner are all pushing for a starting spot.
Brighton vs Chelsea – Predicted Lineups
Brighton Predicted Lineup (3-5-2): Robert Sanchez; Tariq Lamptey, Joel Veltman, Adam Webster, Dan Burn, Marc Cucurella; Pascal Gross, Jakub Moder, Alex Mac Allister; Leandro Trossard, Neal Maupay
Chelsea Predicted Lineup (3-4-1-2): Kepa Arrizabalaga; Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva, Malang Sarr; Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Marcos Alonso; Mason Mount; Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku
Brighton vs Chelsea – Key Players
Brighton – Neal Maupay
Maupay is Brighton’s top scorer in the league this season with seven goals. The French striker will be tasked with using his pace and movement to get behind the Chelsea backline and cause some problems.
Chelsea – Mason Mount
Mount was surprisingly benched for the game against City as Tuchel opted for a frontline of Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Lukaku. The Blues missed the energy and movement of Mount against Guardiola’s side and he will likely be reinstated against Brighton.
A trip to the seaside! 🏖#BhaChe on the way! pic.twitter.com/lFuFIljJFg
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 18, 2022
The England international has scored seven goals and provided five assists in the league this season and has arguably been Chelsea’s best attacking player.