Chelsea are hoping to finally bring to an end their woeful Premier League run when they face off against Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday night.
This fixture has been brought forward as a result of the Blues’ participation in the FA Cup semifinals this weekend, where they face historic rivals Leeds United at Wembley.
A 7–0 beatdown of League One Port Vale arrived in the midst of Chelsea’s losing streak in the top flight. A 1–0 defeat to Manchester United on Saturday means they’ve lost four league games in a row without scoring for the first time since 1998. They haven’t endured five successive defeats without scoring since 1912.
Brighton, though, will be desperate to get another one over the club that have poached so many of their most gifted personnel in recent years. From players to directors, Chelsea’s current framework has distinct Seagulls influence.
Tuesday’s hosts required a 95th-minute equalizer to rescue a point at struggling Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, but they remain one of the Premier League’s form teams. Not only do Brighton still harbor hopes of qualifying for Europe next season, but there’s also a possibility of them earning a stunning Champions League berth should they usurp Chelsea and finish sixth.
This is a huge game for both teams, with Chelsea aiming to stop the rot and Brighton hopeful of climbing up the table.
The Blues’ top-five hopes have been extinguished after four consecutive defeats, but sixth-place could be a significant landing spot come the end of the season. If Aston Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth, the extra Champions League spot will go to whichever team finishes sixth.
Brighton are just a point adrift of their upcoming opponents, but they’re merely one of several teams confident of usurping the slumping Blues.
Recent Head-to-Head Record: Brighton head into this fixture having won the three previous meetings in all competitions. Chelsea had won four on the bounce beforehand, but the Seagulls have had their way against the Blues as of late. Trevoh Chalobah’s dismissal helped Fabian Hürzeler’s side to a 3–1 win in the reverse fixture.
Contrasting Form: While Chelsea have embarked on a historically bad run of form, Brighton have found a groove at just the right time. They were seemingly meandering in Hürzeler’s second season, but have picked up a league-high 13 points from their previous six games to leave them in a position to pounce.
Blues’ Atrophied Attack:
Not only are Chelsea losing league games at will, but their attack has been anemic, too. Liam Delap has scored just one Premier League goal, Cole Palmer hasn’t found the back of the net in six weeks, while Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho haven’t scored in the top flight since last December and October, respectively. They desperately need João Pedro fit midweek, but even he’s been unable to alleviate Chelsea’s woes in the final third as of late.
