Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea go head-to-head in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday evening, with both teams looking for a crucial victory.
The Seagulls are reeling from a humiliating 7-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest last weekend, while Chelsea returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over West Ham. With both sides dealing with injuries and squad changes, this cup tie promises to be an intriguing battle.
Match Details
đź“Ť Location: Brighton, England
🏟️ Stadium: American Express Stadium
đź“… Date: Saturday, 8 February 2025
⏰ Kick-off Time: 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
👨‍⚖️ Referee: Jarred Gillett
đź“ş VAR: Not in use
Head-to-Head Record (Last 5 Matches)
- Brighton Wins: 1
- Chelsea Wins: 4
- Draws: 0
- Last Meeting: Chelsea 4-2 Brighton (28 September 2024) – Premier League
Current Form (All Competitions)
Brighton
❌ 0-7 vs Nottingham Forest – 01/02/25
❌ 0-1 vs Everton – 25/01/25
✅ 3-1 vs Man United – 19/01/25
✅ 2-0 vs Ipswich – 16/01/25
✅ 4-0 vs Norwich – 11/01/25
Chelsea
✅ 2-1 vs West Ham – 03/02/25
❌ 1-3 vs Man City – 25/01/25
✅ 3-1 vs Wolves – 20/01/25
🤝 2-2 vs Bournemouth – 14/01/25
✅ 5-0 vs Morecambe – 11/01/25
Brighton Team News
Brighton are struggling with injuries, missing several key players. Mats Wieffer, James Milner, Jason Steele, Ferdi Kadioglu, Solly March, and Igor are all ruled out.
đź”´ Unavailable Players:
- Mats Wieffer (injured)
- James Milner (injured)
- Jason Steele (injured)
- Ferdi Kadioglu (injured)
- Solly March (injured)
- Igor (injured)
đźš‘ Doubtful:
- Carlos Baleba (fitness)
- Yasin Ayari (fitness)
- Pervis Estupinan (fitness)
🆕 Potential Debut:
- Eiran Cashin (signed from Derby County)
Brighton Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1)
GK: Verbruggen
DEF: Veltman – Van Hecke – Dunk – Lamptey
MID: Gomez – O’Riley
ATT: Minteh – Rutter – Mitoma
ST: Pedro
Chelsea Team News
Chelsea also have several absentees, with injuries affecting both attack and defense. Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu are doubtful, while Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, and David Datro Fofana are out.
đź”´ Unavailable Players:
- Benoit Badiashile (injured)
- Wesley Fofana (injured)
- Romeo Lavia (injured)
- David Datro Fofana (loan recall)
đźš‘ Doubtful:
- Nicolas Jackson (injured)
- Marc Guiu (injured)
Chelsea Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1)
GK: Jorgensen
DEF: Gusto – Chalobah – Colwill – Cucurella
MID: Caicedo – Fernandez
ATT: Madueke – Palmer – Neto
ST: Nkunku
Match Prediction
The last meeting between these sides was a goal-filled thriller, with Cole Palmer scoring four times in a 4-2 Chelsea win. Brighton’s defensive issues make them vulnerable, while Chelsea’s recent resurgence gives them the upper hand.
However, Brighton still possess dangerous attacking talent in Kaoru Mitoma, Joao Pedro, and Yankuba Minteh, who could exploit Chelsea’s defensive lapses.
Chelsea’s squad depth and experience should give them the edge, but Brighton won’t go down without a fight.
Prediction: Brighton 2-3 Chelsea (AET)
Will Chelsea continue their cup run or can Brighton bounce back from their nightmare defeat? Let us know your thoughts! 💬⚽🔥
