Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion prediction, odds and preview

Chelsea have another opportunity to turn their fortunes around when they face Brighton and Hove Albion in the EFL Cup on Wednesday.

The Blues will play the Seagulls in the third round of the cup competition looking to restore smiles on the faces of their fans.

The Blues were defeated 1-0 at home by Aston Villa last time out, while the high-flying Seagulls defeated Bournemouth 3-1.

Chelsea’s season continued to deteriorate when they were defeated at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with Malo Gusto’s 58th-minute red card preceding Ollie Watkins’ 73rd-minute winner.

As a result, the Blues are 14th in the table, 10 points behind third-placed Brighton and just four points above the relegation zone, while the 2020-21 Champions League champions are already nine points behind the top four.

Chelsea began their EFL Cup campaign with an underwhelming success against AFC Wimbledon last month, coming from behind to win 2-1 against the fourth-tier club, so Pochettino will be hoping for a better showing on Wednesday.

Brighton have started the season strongly, winning five of their first six Premier League games to keep pace with Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the table.

Following 3-1 wins over Newcastle United and Manchester United, Roberto De Zerbi’s side suffered a 3-2 loss to AEK Athens in the Europa League last week, but they quickly bounced back with a 3-1 win over Bournemouth at the weekend.

Brighton are the Premier League’s leading scorers this season, with 18 goals in their first six games, and will be hopeful of heaping further misery on struggling Chelsea.