The Blues head back to the American Express Stadium less than a week after crashing out of the FA Cup in a 2-1 loss to Brighton and Hove Albion. Chelsea were by far the poorer side in the FA Cup clash though it was not their usual starting XI and some key players like Reece James and Nicolas Jackson were missing from the lineup entirely.
This has become a hotly contested fixture in recent years even though Chelsea has completely dominated the last 10 meetings with last Sunday’s match the rare exception. The reason behind the animosity has been Chelsea picking off some of Brighton’s best players like Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella and even hired their manager Graham Potter a few seasons ago.
Maybe the Brighton fans should be grateful that Chelsea have been essentially funding their club’s operations with their purchases but we know that’s not how the mind of a football fan works. Chelsea fans will be hoping that the boys are motivated by the loss to Brighton in the FA Cup and the vitriol that their fans heaped on the Blues on Sunday.
How to watch Brighton vs Chelsea live, stream link and start time
- Kick off time: 3pm ET Friday (February 14)
- Venue: American Express Stadium, Falmer, UK
- TV Channel: USA
- Streaming: Watch live on NBC.com
Brighton team news:
Brighton still have a lengthy injury list but that didn’t seem to matter in Sunday’s FA Cup clash. Their forwards have quality and Danny Welbeck is known for scoring goals in big games so the danger is very real.
OUT: Igor Julio (hamstring), Jason Steele (shoulder), James Milner (thigh), Ferdi Kadioglu (toe), Solly March (fitness)| QUESTIONABLE: Pervis Estupinan (undisclosed), Mats Wieffer (knock), Lewis Dunk (lower back)
Chelsea team news:
Chelsea are without a few key players and they are thin especially in their striker or forward options. Christopher Nkunku was poor as a striker on Sunday and we should expect a change there from Enzo Maresca unless he is feeling a bit stubborn about getting more from the Frenchman.
Ideally Nico Jackson would be able to make his return but the Blues likely won’t want to risk his hamstring if the injury is serious. If Jackson is unable to go then perhaps Cole Palmer is deployed as a false nine of Tyrique George is given a shout at center forward.
OUT: Marc Guiu (groin), Wesley Fofana (hamstring), Mykhailo Mudryk (suspension), Benoit Badiashile (thigh), Omari Kellyman (thigh), Romeo Lavia (thigh) | QUESTIONABLE: Nicolas Jackson (thigh)
Brighton vs Chelsea prediction
The Blues were embarrassed in the FA Cup tie but as we mentioned earlier that was not the best XI or even the best possible XI considering the injuries and players being rested. This time around we expect the Blues to triumph and continue to solidify their place in the top four. We expect a reversal of the FA Cup result with the Blues winning by a goal after conceding early to Brighton.
Brighton 1-2 Chelsea.