As the race for Europe heats up, can Brighton complete the double over Chelsea or do the Blues have a response up their sleeves?
Chelsea's recent form has been horrific, with just three wins in 10 games since March 1st, though two of those were in the FA Cup against Wrexham (2-4) and Port Vale (7-0).
A 4-1 win at Aston Villa is the only game they have won in the Premier League since beating Wolves 2-1 on February 7th. It leaves them 18th in the form table across the last five games, which is inexcusable for a side trying to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea's Champions League hopes took a big hit this weekend after losing 1-0 to Manchester United on Saturday night (April 18). This was followed up by Villa beating Sunderland 4-3 and Liverpool winning 2-1 in the Merseyside Derby on Sunday afternoon (April 19).
It leaves Chelsea 6th, seven points behind the defending champions in fifth, with five games remaining. In fact, they are closer to Newcastle in 14th than they are to the Reds, highlighting how they need to get out of this rut of form.
Chelsea's record at the American Express Stadium when Brighton were first promoted back in 2017 was quite a good one, remaining unbeaten in five games between 2018 and 2022, winning three.
However, since 2022, they have only won a single match in four attempts, drawing one, and losing the other two. The win came courtesy of goals from Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku.
It will be tough for the Blues as Brighton are currently one of the most in form teams in the division, with three wins and a draw in their last five games, and a 1-0 loss to Arsenal being their only defeat in seven league matches.
It has allowed Brighton to sit just a point behind Chelsea in ninth, with the opportunity to move above them with a win.
The 1-0 loss against Manchester United brought many questions about Chelsea's attack and how poorly they have been performing.
Liam Delap has scored just once in 24 Premier League matches, in a 2-1 loss at Fulham in January.
Cole Palmer has scored in just seven league matches this season. The only time he scored more than one goal was his hat trick against Wolves in February.
Pedro Neto does not have a single league goal in 2026, his last coming in the 3-1 loss to Leeds back in December.
Alejandro Garnacho's only Premier League goal in blue came in a 2-1 loss to Sunderland in October.
Chelsea have scored 53 goals in the Premier League this season, and Joao Pedro has been responsible for 14 of those, around 26% of Chelsea's goals.
With five games to go, they sit on 53 goals altogether in the Premier League, which is currently their second-lowest total in the last decade. Only 2022/23 had 38 goals being lower.
It highlights how wrong Chelsea's recruitment has been in the attacking areas for a number of years now. £70 million pounds on two players who have combined for two league goals is not the return they would have hoped for.