Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Chelsea`: FA Cup Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

On Saturday night, the Amex Stadium will be the site of an FA Cup fourth-round match between Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion, two teams from the Premier League.

After losing 4-2 at Stamford Bridge in their last league encounter a little over four months ago, the Seagulls will be out for vengeance against the West Londoners.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

After last weekend's crushing 7-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has received criticism from some of his team's fans for turning earlier Premier League triumphs over teams like Manchester City, Tottenham, Newcastle, and Manchester United into distant memories.

As the disgruntled Seagulls fans in the away end watched their side suffer their worst loss in 67 years and their second-worst league loss in 124 years against a merciless Forest team that had just 37% possession and converted seven of their nine shots, the 31-year-old gave a half-hearted acknowledgment.

Hurzeler is confident that his Brighton team will overcome a "test of character" after a winless streak of 12 games. This streak has dropped them to 10th place in the Premier League and six points off the top seven. He is eager to witness a swift response from his players, beginning with Saturday's match against Chelsea.

However, Brighton may find it difficult to win against Chelsea. They have lost their last four matches against the Blues and have won just one of their past eleven home matches overall.

However, after being promoted to the Premier League in 2017, the Seagulls have advanced from five of their previous six FA Cup fourth-round matches, losing only to Spurs 3-1 in 2021-22.

After losing 3-1 to top-four rivals Manchester City at the end of January, Chelsea got back on track in February with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory against West Ham United at Stamford Bridge.

Even though head coach Enzo Maresca described it as a "tough game mentally," the Blues still managed to come out on top thanks to second-half equalizers from Pedro Neto and an own goal from Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Chelsea took advantage of last weekend's losses by Man City, Newcastle, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa to move up to fourth place in the Premier League, two points ahead of fifth-place Citizens. They have now gained 13 points from losing places this season.

The West Londoners' next Premier League meeting is on February 14, but before that, they'll play Brighton in the FA Cup. The Seagulls are eight-time champions and are looking to reach the fifth round for the 26th time in 28 seasons.

When they visit the Amex, Chelsea will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak on the road (D2 L2). However, they have a winning record against Brighton on their last eleven visits across all competitions, and they have advanced from their previous two FA Cup meetings against Brighton, a 4-0 fourth-round replay in 1966–67 and a 2-0 third-round tie in 1972–73.

Brighton & Hove Albion x Chelsea

Mats Wieffer (thigh), Carlos Baleba, Yasin Ayari (both muscle), and Pervis Estupinan (unspecified) will all be evaluated before kickoff, while Brighton is still without Jason Steele (shoulder), Igor Julio (hamstring), Ferdi Kadioglu (toe), James Milner (thigh), and Solly March (muscle) owing to injuries.

Updated roster: After sitting out last month's third-round penalty shootout defeat to Leyton Orient due to a hamstring injury, Derby County's center-back Eiran Cashin is now eligible to make his debut and might start alongside captain Lewis Dunk.

After losing to Forest with only Jack Hinshelwood as a recognized central midfielder, Hurzeler will likely start January signings Diego Gomez and Matt O'Riley on Saturday. Danny Welbeck will once again lead the line (unless Joao Pedro is moved to center-forward).

None of Chelsea's players are eligible for selection except for Benoit Badiashile, who is supposedly nearing recovery from his injuries: Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspended), Wesley Fofana, Omari Kellyman (hamstring and thigh), Romeo Lavia, and Benoit Badiashile.

Nicolas Jackson (hamstring) and Marc Guiu (groin) are questionable to play in this weekend's matchup after sustaining injuries in Chelsea's victory against West Ham. As a result, Christopher Nkunku may start up front.

Chelsea will most likely start Cole Palmer at number 10 after he scored four goals in their league victory against Brighton earlier this season. Other players hoping to reclaim starting roles include Neto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Malo Gusto, and Trevoh Chalobah.

Our predictions

Chelsea to win @ 2.21 on Sky247.ng

Taking a chance on a Brighton team that is hurting after letting in seven goals in their last match and four more when they were blown apart by Chelsea earlier in the season is a tall order.

The Seagulls' defensive shortcomings and winless home record in their previous eight games lead us to believe that the Blues will prevail, regardless of how many lineup changes Maresca chooses to use.

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