Current form: Brighton vs Chelsea
Chelsea have lost their last two away games, but notably ended Manchester City's unbeaten run in the Premier League when they beat Pep Guardiola's men 2-0 last weekend. The Blues will thus be looking to take advantage of their strong historical record against Brighton - they have not lost against their hosts since January 1933.
The visitors come into this game having seen their perfect winning record in the Europa League come to an end as they had to scrape by to earn a draw against Eastern European outfit Videoton, but that really won't matter much to Maurizio Sarri. The Italian tactician heavily rotated his squad for that fixture, especially with Chelsea already having qualified for the round of 32, and at least they didn't end up losing to the minnows on matchday six. Kepa Arrizabalaga, Antonio Rudiger, Eden Hazard, Cesar Azpilicueta and N'Golo Kante are among those all expected to be re-instated to the starting XI after not featuring whatseover during the trip to Eastern Europe for the match against Videoton.
With the next round of the Europa League not taking place until next year, the focus for Chelsea certainly will be on consolidating their spot in the top four. As for hosts Brighton, they saw their two match winning streak end due to a recent 1-0 loss to Burnley but Chris Hughton will be hoping his team can get something here against Chelsea - especially given how strong Brighton have been at home all season.
Current position: Brighton vs Chelsea
Here's how Brighton and Chelsea compare ahead of their meeting at Amex Stadium.
| Pos. | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | P | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 34 | 24 | 5 | 5 | 82 | 26 | +56 | 77 | WWLWW | |
| 2 | Manchester City | 33 | 23 | 7 | 3 | 80 | 32 | +48 | 76 | WWWWD | |
| 3 | Liverpool | 34 | 22 | 8 | 4 | 75 | 34 | +41 | 74 | LWLDW | |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 34 | 20 | 6 | 8 | 71 | 50 | +21 | 66 | WWDLW | |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 32 | 18 | 6 | 8 | 65 | 49 | +16 | 60 | LWDWL | |
| 6 | Manchester United | 33 | 16 | 5 | 12 | 51 | 50 | +1 | 53 | WDDLD | |
| 7 | Newcastle United | 33 | 15 | 5 | 13 | 69 | 54 | +15 | 50 | LWWDW | |
| 8 | West Ham United | 34 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 54 | 63 | -9 | 48 | LLWDL | |
| 9 | Chelsea | 32 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 61 | 57 | +4 | 47 | LWDWD | |
| 10 | AFC Bournemouth | 34 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 49 | 60 | -11 | 45 | WLDLW | |
| 11 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 33 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 52 | 54 | -2 | 44 | LDLDL | |
| 12 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 34 | 12 | 7 | 15 | 46 | 54 | -8 | 43 | LLDLD | |
| 13 | Fulham | 34 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 50 | 54 | -4 | 42 | LWLLD | |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 34 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 44 | 56 | -12 | 39 | WWWLL | |
| 15 | Brentford | 34 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 52 | 59 | -7 | 35 | WWDDD | |
| 16 | Everton | 34 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 36 | 48 | -12 | 33 | WWLWD | |
| 17 | Nottingham Forest | 34 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 42 | 60 | -18 | 26 | LDLWD | |
| 18 | Luton Town | 34 | 6 | 7 | 21 | 47 | 75 | -28 | 25 | LLWLL | |
| 19 | Burnley | 34 | 5 | 8 | 21 | 37 | 69 | -32 | 23 | WDLDD | |
| 20 | Sheffield United | 34 | 3 | 7 | 24 | 33 | 92 | -59 | 16 | LLLDL |
Team news: Brighton vs Chelsea
Here's what's happening on the injuries and suspensions front for both sides ahead of the clash at Amex Stadium.
Brighton: Jose Izquierdo (doubtful); Shane Duffy (suspended)
Chelsea: Alvaro Morata, Gary Cahill, Victor Moses (injured); Mateo Kovacic (doubtful)
Match Facts and Stats: Brighton vs Chelsea
- Brighton have lost each of their last eight games against Chelsea in all competitions
- During that run, they have conceded18 goals and have scored just once
- Meanwhile, Chelsea have won each of their six games against Brighton in the Premier League
- Brighton are looking for their first victory against Chelsea in any competition since January 1933, when they won 2-1 in an FA Cup third round match
- Brighton have lost just one of their last 10 home Premier League games (W5 D4), but 80% of their home defeats in the competition have been against 'big six' opposition
- Brighton are undefeated in 9 of their last 10 home matches
TV Channels and Broadcasts
NBCSN, NBC Sports Live, and NBCSports.com will be showing Brighton vs Chelsea in the US.
In Canada, your choices to view Brighton vs Chelsea include Sportsnet Now, Sportsnet World Now, and Sportsnet World.
Live elsewhere? Here are some options to catch Brighton vs Chelsea:
Match details, result and original broadcast info
Brighton & Hove Albion 1 - 2 Chelsea
December 16, 2018 8:30amThe American Express Community Stadium (Falmer, East Sussex)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
