Chelsea v Brighton: Prediction, team news, lineups and odds | OneFootball

Chelsea will look to continue their perfect start to the 2026/27 season when they host Brighton at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues won 3-2 away at Fulham in Xabi Alonso’s first game in charge before booking their place in the Carabao Cup third round with a 2-0 win at home to Luton Town.

But Brighton have also made a very impressive start to the season, beating Aston Villa 4-0 in the Premier League as well as booking their place in the Conference League league phase with a 4-0 aggregate victory over Tromso.

Chelsea v Brighton kick-off time

Chelsea v Brighton kicks off at 2pm BST on Sunday, August 30 at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea v Brighton how to watch

The game will be shown live in the UK via Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage starting from 1pm.

BBC Radio 5 Live will provide full match commentary.

Chelsea team news

Robert Sanchez’s poor performance against Fulham has led to Chelsea agreeing a £7.5million deal to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez.

But the Argentina international won’t be registered in time for the Brighton game, so Sanchez is expected to start against his former club.

Having been sent off in the final game of last season, centre-back Wesley Fofana has now served his two-game suspension and is available for selection.

Moises Caicedo and new signing Marco Palestra were both left off the teamsheet against Fulham, with Alonso revealing after the game that the pair had picked up injuries in the build-up to the curtain-raiser at Craven Cottage.

They didn’t feature against Luton either and Palestra is also unlikely to play against Brighton, although Caicedo could return to the matchday squad.

If Caicedo isn’t fit enough to start, Reece James will continue to play in midfield alongside Romeo Lavia. Former Brighton midfielder Valentin Barco is another option after he impressed against Luton on his Chelsea debut.

But Jordan Henderson is not yet available as he continues his recovery from the wrist injury sustained in the aftermath of England’s World Cup last-16 victory over Mexico.

Enzo Fernandez is likely to start on the bench or miss the game entirely amid rumours over a big-money move to Manchester City.

Emmanuel Emegha and Aaron Anselmino are the other Chelsea absentees, with the pair both sidelined with hamstring injuries.

Brighton team news

Jack Hinshelwood netted a brace against Villa but picked up an injury in training before the Tromso game and is now set for a spell on the sidelines.

Georginio Rutter was seen wearing a protective boot after the Villa game and also missed the win over Tromso, so the striker is set for a late fitness test before the trip to Stamford Bridge.

The Seagulls are already short of attacking options, with Yankuba Minteh, Kaoru Mitoma, Stefanos Tzimas and Evan Ferguson all unavailable.

Charalampos Kostoulas started up front against Tromso and netted the opening goal, but Promise David could make his debut for the club after arriving from Royale Union Saint-Gilloise on a season-long loan.

In more positive injury news, Pascal Struijk and Ferdi Kadioglu both returned to the matchday squad against Tromso, with the former getting 45 minutes under his belt in the second half.

Chelsea v Brighton odds

Chelsea are 7/8 to make it six points out of six from their opening two Premier League games.

Brighton are 16/5 to do likewise, while The Draw is 3/1.

Chelsea v Brighton prediction

Brighton have been a bogey team for Chelsea in recent times, winning each of the last three Premier League meetings between the sides.

That includes a 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge last season, where current Chelsea striker Danny Welbeck netted a brace for the Seagulls.

But the Blues have made some impressive signings in this summer transfer window and already look a lot stronger under Alonso.

The front three of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro should give them the edge in this game, although their defensive frailties could be exposed once again against an in-form Brighton side.

That leads us to back a Chelsea win and both teams to score at 23/10. A reverse of the 3-1 scoreline from last season is available at 14/1.

Pedro broke the deadlock against Fulham after just 31 seconds, and he’s 23/5 to be the first goalscorer once again. To play it safe, the Brazil international is 27/20 to score anytime against his former club.

After a difficult 2025/26 season, Palmer was back to his best against Fulham and had two direct goal contributions to his name. He’s 5/6 to score or assist against Brighton.