3 Changes Expected: 3-4-1-2 Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs Brighton & Hove Albion

Chelsea will aim to bounce back to winning ways in the Premier League when they travel to the Amex Stadium to play Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday evening.

A 1-0 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium at the weekend has practically seen the Blues slip out of the title race, with Thomas Tuchel’s men falling 13 points behind the defending champions. And Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Brentford on Sunday means Chelsea have dropped down to third on the table.

After a disappointing show at the Etihad, Thomas Tuchel will expect a strong response from his boys against Brighton, who come into this fixture off the back of a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in the M23 derby.

Chelsea Team News

Ben Chilwell, Trevoh Chalobah and Reece James all remain unavailable for selection due to injury, while Andreas Christensen is ruled out after testing positive for Covid-19 last week. So, Thomas Tuchel should have the same squad as against Man City.

Predicted Chelsea Lineup vs Manchester City (3-4-1-2)

Goalkeeper

As Edouard Mendy, who recently tested positive for Covid-19, is away at the AFCON, Kepa Arrizabalaga will once again start in goal for Chelsea.

Defence

There is unlikely to be any changes to Chelsea’s three-man backline, with Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr expected to start in the Chelsea lineup against Brighton. Sarr overall had a decent outing against Man City at the weekend, and with Chalobah injured and Christensen out with Covid-19, the young Frenchman will look to put in an improved defensive display at the Amex Stadium.

Midfield

Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso weren’t at their best in Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat to Man City. However, the Spanish duo are widely expected to keep their places at wing-backs in the Chelsea lineup. They will face an uphill task of containing Brighton’s flying wing-backs Tariq Lamptey and Marc Cucurella.

In the centre of the park, Tuchel could freshen up things by bringing in Jorginho for N’Golo Kante. Jorginho, alongside Mateo Kovacic, will look to take control of the game as early as possible at Brighton.

Attack

Mason Mount is pushing for a spot in the Chelsea lineup after being dropped to the bench against Manchester City. The England international is a crucial cog in Tuchel’s system, offering creativity, energy and tactical flexibility in abundance to the Blues. He will once again be key in linking the play from his preferred no.10 position.

Even though Romelu Lukaku endured a tough afternoon at the Etihad Stadium, Tuchel is likely to keep his faith on the big Belgian up front. Lukaku could be joined by Timo Werner in the Chelsea lineup, whose smart movement and ability to make runs behind defenders may cause problems to the hosts on Tuesday.