5 Ways Chelsea Can Defeat Brighton & Hove Albion | OneFootball

Chelsea opened their 2026/27 season with a statement 3-2 win, dismantling Fulham with Morgan Rogers grabbing a debut goal. However, a couple of goal-causing mistakes from Robert Sanchez has caused Chelsea to dip into the market, signing top keeper Emi Martinez from Aston Villa. The Blues continued their good form by beating Jack Wilshere’s Luton Town 2-0 in the Carabao Cup, where they will next face Leeds. Xabi Alonso will be looking to take down the Seagulls tomorrow, a club that Chelsea have struggled to beat in recent years.

Here are 5 ways Chelsea can defeat Brighton.

Predictions

Before looking at how Chelsea can break down Brighton, here is the lineup that Xabi Alonso could go for:

Chelsea Lineup (3-4-3): Sanchez, Colwill, Lacroix, Fofana, Hato, Gusto, James, Lavia, Rogers, Palmer, Pedro

Sanchez will likely start what may be his final game for Chelsea following Martinez’s arrival, and Fofana comes back into the squad for Acheampong after his suspension. Romeo Lavia could start after a solid showing against Fulham, and the same front 3 that gave Fulham’s defence the runaround are likely to retain their places.

Leveraging ‘JP Morgan’

Chelsea’s front 3 on paper is one of the best in the league, and new addition Rogers seems to be settling into life at Stamford Bridge very quickly. Getting the most out of him, Pedro and Palmer will be paramount to Alonso’s game plan tomorrow – as it was on Monday. The terrifying trio has 5 goal contributions between them already this season, highlighting just how dangerous they can be. Palmer’s long-standing friendship with Rogers has already translated well onto the pitch, with the two sharing an incredible understanding. If Chelsea want to take the game to Brighton, they should get these three combining from the off.

Take Advantage of Brighton’s Absences

Brighton have a formidable attack, which is most of the reason why the Blues haven’t beaten them for 2 years. Two of the biggest thorns in Chelsea’s side were Danny Welbeck and Kaoru Mitoma. Welbeck, after scoring 4 goals in the last 2 years against the West Londoners, has now joined them and Mitoma is currently injured. Jack Hinshelwood, who has previously scored against Chelsea and had a great start to the season, is also absent. Winning the midfield battle may be an easier task for Chelsea this time around though, with star player Carlos Baleba leaving for Manchester United. This significantly weaken Brighton’s midfield, so Chelsea can exploit this to their advantage.

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Lock up Brighton’s Attack

As has just been mentioned, Chelsea have struggled to contain Brighton’s attack in recent years. Smoothing out this particular wrinkle will be crucial to Alonso’s preparations. Rutter must be kept quiet, being one of the most dangerous aspects of Fabian Hürzeler’s side. Diego Gómez is another scary cog in the Brighton machine, being able to cover any area of the attack and possessing an unpredictability that Chelsea’s defence needs to account for. New signing Promise David is a wildcard off the bench, a quick, 6’5 fox in the box who could cause some real damage. If Alonso wants a win, he needs to start by making sure he picks his best and most trusted defenders.

Look to the bench

It’s no secret that Chelsea have made some quality signings this summer and possess a fantastic starting squad, but they also have some game-changers on the bench. Estêvão is the obvious highlight, being direct, quick and smart beyond his years. The 19-year-old has already scored some iconic goals for the Blues and will be looking to repeat them should he be called into action. Pedro Neto is also a solid option, having a great work-rate and being able to play wing-back if needed. He has provided some important goals for Chelsea, netting 19 times since he joined 2 years ago.

The West Londoners can also bring on defensive reinforcements if they need to tighten up at the back, with the experienced Pep Chavarria being a solid left-back option. Danny Welbeck is also a game-changer off the bench and Chelsea will be glad not to be on the receiving end of him this season.

Nail their set pieces

With new set-piece coach Austin MacPhee arriving from Villa in the summer, Chelsea have already seen an improvement in their corners and free kicks. Set pieces have been the bane of the Blues for years now, one stat from earlier this year puts this into perspective:

This damning stat truly encapsulates Chelsea’s ineptitude from set pieces, but this season holds promise. MacPhee seems to be directing a new short corner routine, which has almost bore a few goals for the Blues. A cheeky free kick routine against Luton on Wednesday saw a Reece James rocket nearly go in too. All this is to say, there has been a clear improvement on last season in the set piece department, and it can be a real source of goals against Brighton.

Predicted Scoreline

Chelsea 2-1 Brighton

Chelsea manage to best Brighton for the first time in almost 2 years, but only narrowly. Watch the game live on Sky Sports Main Event on Sunday 30th August at 2:00pm.