After Burnley’s Turf Moor clash with Watford was postponed, Brighton’s home game with Chelsea is the sole Premier League fixture on Tuesday night when the Seagulls will be looking to frustrate the Blues again.
The Clarets had their appeal for the game to be called off due to ongoing Covid cases in their camp approved by the Premier League so it’s all eyes on the Amex instead, where the Seagulls will be hoping to inflict more pain on a Chelsea side still reeling from their damaging defeat at Manchester City on Saturday.
Chelsea’s Title Bid in Ruins
The 1-0 loss at the Etihad Stadium appears to have realistically ended any hope the Blues had of launching a title challenge in the second half of the season as they are now third in the table, 13 points adrift of City.
A campaign that began so well with Thomas Tuchel’s men setting the early pace is threatening to unravel this winter with some Chelsea fans beginning to fear a top-four place could be in doubt if the current malaise continues.
The Londoners have won only one of their last six in the top flight – a run that includes disappointing draws with Everton, Wolves and Tuesday’s opponents Brighton – as the wheels have come off what looked like being a serious bid to compete with Pep Guardiola’s side at the very top.
It’s not total doom and gloom at Stamford Bridge as Tuchel’s side have, of course, made it through to the EFL Cup final after comfortably seeing off Tottenham over two legs and they also swatted non-league Chesterfield aside in the FA Cup, but their league form is concerning.
Mount Likely to be Recalled
Tuchel surprisingly opted to leave out Mason Mount against City but he’s expected to return to the side for the trip to the south coast, while Jorginho is also pushing for a recall. Andreas Christensen is self-isolating and Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell and Reece James are injury absentees.
Brighton boss Graham Potter, meanwhile, has hailed the collective effort behind the scenes at the Amex as he hopes to at least guide his side to a top-half finish this season.
The Seagulls are ninth but are only five points off the top six and go into the Chelsea game on a five-match unbeaten run in all competitions.
The fully-deserved point at Stamford Bridge last month was followed up by an impressive 3-2 victory at Everton before they were held by rivals Crystal Palace last Friday.
As has often been the case in recent years, Potter’s side were guilty of wasting plenty of good chances against the Eagles in a game they largely dominated.
However, they remain on course for a best-ever Premier League finish and Potter knows their progress is down to the good structure at the club and hard work of everyone behind the scenes.
Collective Effort Behind Brighton’s Rise
Potter praised the ethos that runs the Brighton, from top to bottom
He said: “If you are successful as a coach, you need good people around you and your staff, and at the club the Board, chairman and CEO are so helpful and supportive. We are fortunate to have a fantastic chairman, who provides the clarity and vision for us and allows us to get on with our work.
“Then there is the club’s strategy, the structures around it and the players, who are so helpful and supportive. What we have here is an opportunity to be successful, to do your job and keep improving. But I am no magician, I need the help of the people around me.”
Defender Tariq Lamptey should hand the home side a pre-match boost by being fit enough to start against his former club but Lewis Dunk, Shane Duffy and Adam Lallana are all out injured.
More Frustration for Blues?
Chelsea are unsurprisingly favourites to come out on top at 5/7 but the visitors have looked fragile at times in recent weeks and the 6/5 available on a Brighton/Tie in the Double Chance market looks very tempting with Potters’ side expected to again make things very difficult for their opponents.
*All odds correct at time of writing.