Brighton & Hove Albion vs Chelsea: The Blues in Freefall as European-chasing Brighton Circle
Can European-chasing Brighton jump to sixth place?
There's still a lot for Brighton & Hove Albion to do if they are still dreaming of playing in Europe come next season. Only five games remain before the 2025-26 Premier League season concludes.
The East Sussex-based side cannot afford slip-ups as they sit in ninth place in the league standings, just one point behind the European football spot occupied by Chelsea, their opponents in this upcoming encounter.
Under the guidance of former St. Pauli head coach Fabian Hurzeler, the team has a record of 12 wins, 11 draws, and 10 losses from their last 33 league games. Combining the wins and draws, that's an average of 1.42 points per game, which goes to explain their 47 points amassed thus far.
The Seagulls are enjoying a great run of form as of late, as they are unbeaten in their last four league games (W3, D1).
Hurzeler's charges pulled off a memorable comeback last time out against Tottenham Hotspur, on the verge of being relegated to the second tier, which will be catastrophic for a side that has never experienced such since the 1976-77 season. Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter were on target as the team salvaged a point in a thrilling 2-2 draw.
That result must've left a bitter taste in their mouth as it halted a three-match winning streak against Sunderland, Liverpool, and Burnley. Maintaining their current unbeaten run is their number one priority as they take on Chelsea. For more insights into the game, head over to our Brighton vs Chelsea prediction.
Indeed, they have won their last two league games against this opponent, but Brighton & Hove Albion have, in past fixtures, struggled for favourable results, particularly at home. Home advantage has done them little good with two wins in their last eight league games. However, they did win 3-0 in their previous meeting at AMEX Stadium and will want to draw inspiration from that result.
Check out Brighton's past home league games against Chelsea:
- 14 February 2025 (MD25) – Brighton & Hove Albion 3:0 Chelsea
- 15 May 2024 (MD34) – Brighton & Hove Albion 1:2 Chelsea
- 29 October 2022 (MD14) – Brighton & Hove Albion 4:1 Chelsea
- 18 January 2022 (MD24) – Brighton & Hove Albion 1:1 Chelsea
- 14 September 2020 (MD1) – Brighton & Hove Albion 1:3 Chelsea
- 1 January 2020 (MD21) – Brighton & Hove Albion 1:1 Chelsea
- 16 December 2018 (MD17) – Brighton & Hove Albion 1:2 Chelsea
- 20 January 2018 (MD24) – Brighton & Hove Albion 0:4 Chelsea
Liam Rosenior under pressure to deliver and keep UEFA Champions League qualification hopes alive
The pressure is starting to mount for head coach Liam Rosenior at Stamford Bridge following a series of disappointing results in the Premier League. Chelsea have lost four consecutive league games heading into MD34.
To the disbelief of many, their finishing touch has deserted them entirely as they failed to score in any of those games while conceding eight goals. Their most recent setback was against Manchester United over the weekend, but they lost 1-0 in their own backyard.
Chelsea have lost four straight games without finding the back of the net and has conceded eight goals. This marks their worst performance in almost three decades.
For Rosenior, the alarm bells are ringing louder than ever as the club's supporters are becoming impatient and questioning his ability to turn things around.
The 41-year-old Englishman was appointed head coach on January 6th, and he did oversee a good start, winning four consecutive games and avoiding defeat in six league games.
Chelsea's goal this season is to secure a top-five finish, which should enable them to secure an automatic UEFA Champions League spot for the upcoming season. Clinching silverware could be a bonus, and it seems they are making steady progress in the FA Cup after defeating Port Vale 7-0 in the quarterfinals on April 4th.
So far, the Blues have amassed 48 points from 33 games and are seven points behind defending champions Liverpool in fifth place. However, that's the least of their worries, as they risk slipping further down the table and missing out on European qualification altogether. That's if their attempt to win the FA Cup fails.
Chelsea's situation right now in the Premier League standings:
| Position | Team | Matches Played | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| *5. | Liverpool | 33 | 55 |
| 6. | Chelsea | 33 | 48 |
| 7. | Brentford | 33 | 48 |
| 8. | Bournemouth | 33 | 48 |
| 9. | Brighton | 33 | 47 |
| 10. | Everton | 33 | 47 |
| 11. | Sunderland | 33 | 46 |
| 12. | Fulham | 33 | 45 |
* Promotion - UEFA Champions League (League phase)
Player Focus: Pedro returns, so do the goals for the Blues!
Joao Pedro has been influential for Chelsea this season in a lot of ways, from scoring goals and securing match-winning moments for his side. He is the team's top scorer with 14 goals and five assists to his name, ranking him fourth in the Premier League's scoring charts.
The Brazilian international was unavailable in the clash against Manchester United due to a minor thigh injury. However, he was seen in training on Monday, and it's possible he could be available for this upcoming encounter and boost his side's UEFA Champions League qualification hopes.
Having contributed 19 goals for club this season, he is averaging 0.52 goals per 90 minutes and 13.7 expected goals (xG). It's also worth noting that he ranks third in terms of expected goals on target, averaging 14.6 which further highlights his efficiency and goal threat in the final third.
He has not scored against Brighton & Hove Albion and will be searching for his first goal this Tuesday and guide his club to winning ways.
