Brighton vs Chelsea: Preview, predictions and lineups | OneFootball

An in-form Chelsea are in midweek Premier League action when they travel to Brighton on Wednesday night.

Mauricio Pochettino's debut campaign in west London has been one of tumult but the Blues' strong conclusion to the 2023/24 season hints at brighter times ahead with their Argentine boss at the helm.

Chelsea have won three games in a row heading into Wednesday night and were forced to come from behind late on to overcome Nottingham Forest on Saturday. They're now level on points with Newcastle with 57 as they aim to finish the season in at least sixth. Fifth is also a possibility - albeit an unlikely one.

Brighton have endured a miserable 2024 but have at least enjoyed some respite over the past couple of weeks. After edging past a fatigued Aston Villa at the start of May, Roberto De Zerbi's side earned a respectable point at St James' Park at the weekend.

The Seagulls, however, are playing for nothing more than a top-half finish. They currently sit tenth in the table with 48 points, 14 fewer than they notched last season with two games remaining.

Here's 90min's preview of Wednesday's clash at the Amex.

Brighton vs Chelsea H2H Record (Last Five Games)

Current form (all competitions)

How to watch Brighton vs Chelsea on TV and live stream

Brighton team news

Pedro could miss Wednesday's game / Mike Hewitt/GettyImages

The Seagulls' injury woes this season have undoubtedly limited their capacity to build on a stellar 2022/23 season.

De Zerbi will once again be without a whole host of stars for Chelsea's visit. Kaoru Mitoma, Evan Ferguson, Solly March, Pervis Estupinan, Jack Hinselwood and James Milner are all set to miss out on Wednesday.

Joao Pedro is a doubt with an ankle injury, while Jan Paul van Hecke is struggling with a hamstring problem.

Brighton predicted lineup vs Chelsea

Brighton predicted lineup vs Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Lamptey, Webster, Dunk, Igor; Gilmour, Gross; Buonanotte, Moder, Adingra; Welbeck.

Chelsea team news

James returned from a long spell out on Saturday / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages

Reece James had a huge impact off the bench at the City Ground and could be included in the starting XI on Wednesday.

Pochettino could also welcome Christopher Nkunku back into the lineup with the Frenchman appearing off the bench in recent outings.

Chelsea will be without Ben Chilwell, Enzo Fernandez, Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia and Carney Chukwuemeka, while Robert Sanchez is a doubt.

Chelsea predicted lineup vs Brighton (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; James, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Gallagher; Palmer, Nkunku, Sterling; Jackson.

Brighton vs Chelsea score prediction

Chelsea will arrive on the south coast in high spirits having fought from behind at the weekend and there's a real sense of the Blues gathering some crucial end-of-season momentum which could have a role to play at the start of 2024/25.

Brighton have earned some respite in their previous two games and are generally tougher to beat on home soil, but their injury woes are significant and they could struggle to contain a Chelsea side that's found its groove from an attacking sense.

The return of Reece James will only aid the visitors and they should win again on Wednesday night.