A place in the FA Cup fifth round will be up for grabs on Saturday evening when Brighton and Hove Albion welcome Chelsea at the Amex Stadium in an all-Premier League tie.
Just two wins in last 12 Premier League games has seen Brighton slip to 10th in the table. They were smashed 7-0 by Nottingham Forest last week, which has seen manager Fabian Hurzeler come under intense criticism from some of the club’s supporters.
As for Chelsea, they have started February with a 2-1 win over London rivals West Ham at Stamford Bridge on Monday. Enzo Maresca’s side, who beat Morecambe 5-0 in the last round, should be favourites on paper here.
Without further delay, let us take a look at the key battles that could define the outcome of this mouthwatering cup tie.
#3 Enzo Fernandez vs Matt O’Riley
Enzo Fernandez has had a much better season compared to the last for Chelsea. The diminutive Argentinean is starting to show his quality in Maresca’s system, providing a perfect foil for the combative Moises Caicedo. With his vision and passing range, he could unlock the Brighton backline.
#OTD 12 months ago. ⏮️ pic.twitter.com/nzJ9njLVqm
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 7, 2025
Fernandez is likely to come up against Matt O’Riley, who should start in midfield at the expense of Yasin Ayari and Carlos Baleba—both are doubtful for the visit of Chelsea. O’Riley has had a stop-start debut season at the Amex Stadium due to injury problems but he has shown glimpses of his quality on and off the ball.
The Brighton midfielder could be tasked with staying close to Fernandez and nullifying his threat.
#2 Joao Pedro vs Levi Colwill
Joao Pedro is a player who can make things happen in the final third with his acceleration, dribbling skills, smart movement and link-up play. He will most likely operate in the No.10 role behind centre-forward Danny Welbeck.
Standing in front of the Brazilian will be Levi Colwill, who has improved a lot under Maresca’s guidance. The Englishman has been a mainstay in the Chelsea defence this season, performing consistently in central defence.
Simon Adingra 🤝 João Pedro = ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/DRL43h8kUa
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) August 25, 2024
However, he could be in for a tough evening as Pedro’s movement and finishing are a notch higher than in recent games. But if Colwill could succeed in keeping the South American under wraps, Chelsea’s chances of beating the Seagulls will become higher.
#1 Cole Palmer vs Lewis Dunk
Cole Palmer has already tormented Brighton earlier this season by scoring four goals alone in the 4-2 win at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League. Given the Seagulls are coming off the back of a demoralizing 7-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, the Chelsea star will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing their defence.
This is when Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler will expect his captain Lewis Dunk to step up and stop the Blues’ best player. Dunk has been off-colour this season while missing some games due to injury. Nonetheless, the Englishman is an experienced campaigner and has to do his best to keep Palmer at bay.
Palmer will fancy his chances against the ageing Dunk as Brighton’s defence has looked fragile and all over the place in recent games.
