Chelsea welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon. The Blues are in poor form of late while struggling at home, so they won’t be big favourites to win. Brighton, on the other hand, boast an unbeaten run and have been strong on the road.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men will be desperate for a result as they’ve dropped into the bottom-half of the table. Chelsea are closer to the relegation zone than the top-six, so they can’t afford any more slip-ups. Brighton could go above seventh-placed Manchester United in the table with a win, so it’s all to play for.
Chelsea spiralling of late
Chelsea are currently 11th in the table with 16 points from 13 games. The Blues have managed only one win in their last five outings. Pochettino’s side are without a win in their last five home games, so they’re not in great shape. Chelsea have lost to Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Brentford, so Brighton might fancy their chances at the Bridge.
The West Londoners are coming off the back of an embarrassing 4-1 defeat at Newcastle United, so they’re vulnerable. Chelsea beat Brighton in last season’s home clash, but that was after back-to-back defeats prior. The Blues have managed only one win in their previous six head-to-heads, so Brighton are a bogey team.
Is a Brighton win even an upset?
If Chelsea have failed to win three of their last four home head-to-heads, is a Brighton win an upset? Roberto De Zerbi’s men are three places and six points better off in the table than Chelsea. Brighton are unbeaten in their last four games and have four points from their last two away outings.
Albion are coming off the back of a 3-2 win at Nottingham Forest, so they shouldn’t be underestimated. Aston Villa and Manchester City are their only defeats on the road while Man Utd are a side they’ve beaten. Brighton will fancy their chances, but Chelsea will be determined to put things right.
Sunday’s clash at the Bridge should be an entertaining affair.
In other news, Trevoh Chalobah could leave Chelsea in January
