Maresca sends three-word message to Chelsea fans ahead of Brighton's visit to Stamford Bridge | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca has sent a rallying message to Chelsea supporters ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Brighton.

After the disappointing defeat to Manchester United last weekend, Chelsea bounced back with a hard-earned win over Lincoln City on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup.

This would be Chelsea's first home match in almost a month, during which they have played four away games in a row.

Maresca is clearly excited to be back playing at home, surrounded by the Stamford Bridge crowd.

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"Absolutely," the Italian head coach told Chelsea's in-house media team when asked about the importance of keeping the momentum after the Lincoln win.

"We're (going to be) at home, with our fans, we need them.

"(It) will be a tough game, but at home, we're strong, and we need to continue being like that."

The Brighton game comes in a crucial moment for Chelsea, who currently sit sixth in the Premier League table.

A defeat in this game would put the team under pressure and make next week's bout against Liverpool practically a must-win match or risk entering the mid-table fight rather than chasing the top three teams.

In addition to that, Maresca's men are also going to host Benfica in the Champions League in-between those two league games.

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Unfortunately for Chelsea, the latest record against Brighton does not look very encouraging.

The two teams met twice back in February, and Brighton came out on top on both occasions.

On the bright side, they were away matches, and the last time Brighton visited Stamford Bridge in September last year, Chelsea won the game quite convincingly with a 4-2 scoreline.

Maresca, who rotated his team quite heavily against Lincoln, is expected to field his strongest eleven against Brighton, including Robert Sanchez, who served his suspension and is now available again.