Chelsea vs Brighton predicted XI: 3-4-3 in Liverpool tune-up match

January has always looked to be the toughest of the months on Chelsea’s fixture list. However, after advancing into the semifinals of the Carabao Cup, a two-legged tie against Tottenham makes that schedule much more daunting. The Blues’ title race stance will be decided in the month as they face Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester City in Premier League scraps shortly after the turn of the new year. It’s understandable that a majority of supporters have their eyes on those big six games, but there’s still one more tune-up to be played before the Reds come to town.

Chelsea hosts Brighton on Wednesday following its important win over Aston Villa on Boxing Day. The Seagulls are enjoying a fine start to the season in their eyes as they battle for a spot in the top half close to the midway point in their campaign. Many—players and staff included—will undoubtedly have one eye on the Liverpool clash in the coming days, which is exactly what Graham Potter wants to hear. COVID-19 has taken its toll on both sides recently, so there’s really no telling what’s in store at Stamford Bridge for either squad. Nevertheless, this is a crucial three points for the Blues as they now have an opportunity to head into the clash with Jurgen Klopp’s squad in sole possession of second place in the English top flight.

Here is who The Pride of London believes will be in Tuchel’s starting XI on Wednesday:

Edouard Mendy (No. 16) Goalkeeper, Senegal

This is Chelsea’s penultimate game before losing its superstar goalkeeper to the African Cup of Nations. This might’ve usually been a game in which the Senegalese shot-stopper got a rest ahead of the brutal upcoming fixture list, but not this time considering the Blues have him in goal for just two more games. Edouard Mendy gives Chelsea the best chance of winning and therefore, he’ll start over Kepa Arrizabalaga. Make no mistake about it though, the Blues’ No. 2 has proven himself to be perhaps the best “back-up goalkeeper” in the world in recent months. They’ll be just fine during Mendy’s absence. It’d be a surprise to see Mendy called upon many times in this game given Brighton’s tendency to underperform its expected goal output.

Trevoh Chalobah (No. 14) Right centerback, England

Trevoh Chalobah was an unfortunate casualty of Tuchel’s tactical genius against Aston Villa. Chelsea’s manager brought the youngster off in order to make room for Romelu Lukaku at halftime. This resulted in a switch that saw Reece James drop to right centerback, Christian Pulisic go to right wingback and Lukaku to striker—all three were better off for the change. Nevertheless, this had more to do with the others as opposed to Chalobah. He was arguably the Blues’ best player during his time on the pitch and he’ll surely get the nod against Brighton.

Andreas Christensen (No. 4) Centerback, Denmark

Thiago Silva suffered an injury against the Villains, so it’s Andreas Christensen time once again. The Dane enjoyed an excellent start to the season before a contract stand-off with the club saw his play time dwindle. Christensen has yet to put pen to paper on a new deal, but he’s got new representation that’s going to provide a fresh perspective on the discussions soon. Hopefully the two sides are able to come to an agreement as Christensen is one of the finest young centerbacks in European football. It’d be nice to see the distractions limited so the Danish international could simply focus on football once again. He needs to start against Brighton as Tuchel’s options are limited elsewhere along the back line.

Antonio Rudiger (No. 2) Left centerback, Germany

This isn’t as straightforward a decision as many would believe. Antonio Rudiger is the Blues’ first choice left centerback on any day of the week that ends in -y. However, he seldom gets a chance to rest due to the lack of depth at his position. The German is going to be needed in every game in January not against a team named Chesterfield. Malang Sarr should get the nod against the Seagulls, but it’d be very surprising to see Rudiger left out in reality. He’s the defensive anchor at the moment, especially with Silva sidelined.