Game Week 2 Predictions: Chelsea and Brighton to rain goals at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea vs Brighton preview: two in-form sides meet at the Bridge as Alonso’s Blues host Hürzeler’s flying Seagulls.

Chelsea must beat Brighton to overcome a mental block. Will Brighton give them a show to enjoy? (Photo credit: BBC)

 Chelsea vs Brighton

Stamford Bridge Stadium

2:00pm

The Blues have the opportunity to sustain their current momentum of two wins in two games, but they will face a team that has also won three out of three.

Chelsea and Brighton have both been busy early on. In addition to their one league game each, both teams have participated in the EFL Cup, and the Seagulls also took part in one league game; they have both been involved in the EFL Cup, and the Seagulls also participated in the final knockout round of the Europa Conference League.

Brighton are in a good place after their opening day thumping of Aston Villa. It's tough to imagine if Brighton will ever have a better first half than the one they had at home against Unai Emery's team last weekend.

To top that, Brighton also advanced into the group phase of the Europa Conference League, where they already learned their opponents. You can't say the same for Chelsea, who will only focus on league games, at least for now.

Brighton is expected to struggle at some points. Playing in Europe with a squad on a budget is quite challenging; Fabian Hurzelar insists he has a squad that can compete on all fronts, but experience has taught us that a deep squad is needed to survive the challenges ahead.

Many things went in the way of the Seagulls against Aston Villa; this one at Stamford Bridge is a different proposition. Chelsea will be under heavy scrutiny this season; it's left to see how Xabi Alonso handles the outside pressure.

The Blues remain favorites for this fixture, but they won't find Brighton easy to push aside. We expect Chelsea to go on the offensive from the first whistle. Knowing a draw will only set them back as early as game week two.

How will they line up? Enzo Fernandez remains a player Manchester City wants, which means we might not see him in the squad on Sunday. The Argentine midfielder was booed by the Chelsea fans on Monday against Fulham; if he does feature against Brighton, we expect the same.

Joao Pedro is the darling of most FPL players; his numbers are always great, and with Cole Palmer seemingly back to form and Morgan Rogers in the mix, Chelsea's attack is exciting, and everyone must be worried at this rate.

Brighton won't have Jack Hinshelwood to call on. The young forward picked up an injury in midweek and could be out for six weeks. Brighton must find ways to cope without a player who has been important for them in recent months.

Chelsea should win this one, but Brighton will have a say in how things pan out. Chelsea will always concede; even with the imminent arrival of Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa, Chelsea will still have that defense problem, so this one has goals written all over it.

Verdict: Over 2.5 goals