Brighton & Hove Albion are hosting Chelsea at the American Express Stadium on the 25th of April, 2026. The Seagulls are taking to the pitch at 3:00 o’clock on Saturday afternoon when the clock strikes three in BST time (but 4:00 PM in WAT – that’s West African Time for those who don’t know). Fabian Hürzeler‘s Brighton side who are doing alright mid-table and looking solid, come up against Liam Rosenior‘s Chelsea team who are very keen to get a top four finish.
Match Summary
So far this season, Brighton have been looking like one of the most enjoyable and well-organised teams in the league, having a nice strong home record and a really effective counter-attack. They drew 2-2 when the two teams met at Stamford Bridge back in December, 2025, showing they can give a run for their money against the bigger clubs. The Amex Stadium has been really tough for visitors this season, Brighton taking advantage of their high press and fast transitions to really give them a hard time.
Meanwhile Chelsea are on a bit of a roll and have been doing pretty well, but they’ve still had inconsistency problems on their travels. Chelsea tend to rely on their individual quality and set-pieces to break down teams who set up really tightly. This match is known for producing games with plenty of goals and a real tactical battle – Brighton trying to get under Chelsea’s skin and get inside their heads.
On the other hand the home side are going to be looking to find some space and get into the game themselves – we are talking about set-pieces and midfield battles where the two teams will really test each other’s organisation and skill. Recent match-ups have been real nail-biting encounters with both teams having the potential to take points off each other.
Possible Lineups
Brighton & Hove Albion (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen – Veltman, Van Hecke, Dunk, Kerkez – Baleba, Gross – Semenyo, Mitoma, Minteh – Welbeck
With a pretty solid injury record, Fabian Hürzeler has got a great team to pick from. Kaoru Mitoma is the one to watch down the left side with his speed and ball control, while up front Danny Welbeck leads the line.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sánchez – Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella – Caicedo, Fernández – Palmer, James, Neto – Pedro
Liam Rosenior is expected to go with a strong starting eleven. Cole Palmer remains Chelsea’s creative spark and main goal threat, with a solid dependable defence behind him.
Prediction
We’re expecting a real edge-of-your-seat match here, with both teams really going for it. Brighton’s organisation and the support of their home crowd should make things pretty tricky for Chelsea. And make no mistake, Kaoru Mitoma is going to be a handful for Chelsea’s defenders.
However, Chelsea’s superior individual quality, especially with Cole Palmer pulling the strings, is the key factor here. Expect the visitors to take it to Brighton, with both teams scoring in a real thriller of a match, and Chelsea edging it at the end of the day.
Final score prediction: Brighton 1-2 Chelsea
