Chelsea returns to the familiar grounds of Stamford Bridge with an aim to rebound from a recent stretch of mixed performances. They arrive with just one victory in their latest four matches, with that sole win coming against a team from a lower division. In the rest of these games, Chelsea’s challenges seem to be self-inflicted.
Injury woes have resurfaced, adding constraints to coach Enzo Maresca’s team selection. Despite this, Maresca opts to keep Josh Acheampong out of the starting lineup.
The anticipated lineup for Chelsea follows a 4-2-3-1 formation:
**Starting XI:**
– Goalkeeper: Sánchez
– Defenders: Cucurella, Hato, Chalobah, James (captain)
– Midfielders: Caicedo, Santos
– Attacking Midfield: Neto, Enzo, Estêvão
– Forward: João Pedro
**Bench Options Include:**
Jörgensen, Acheampong, Gusto, Badiashile, Lavia, Gittens, Garnacho, George, Guiu
Brighton, on the other hand, has chosen a starting XI featuring:
– Goalkeeper: Verbruggen
– Field Players: Dunk (captain), Van Hecke, Georginio, Minteh, Baleba, Mitoma, Kadioglu, Gomez, Ayari, Veltman
**Substitutes Include:**
Steele, Gruda, Tzimas, Welbeck, Milner, Boscagli, Wieffer, De Cuyper, Coppola
The match is scheduled for Saturday, September 27, 2025, at 15:00 BST. It will be held at Stamford Bridge, with Simon Hooper serving as the on-field referee and Darren England managing VAR duties.
Unfortunately, the match will not be televised in the UK or the USA, though it will be available on various channels in other countries, including Star Sports Select HD2 in India and SuperSport MaXimo 1 in Nigeria. For those in the USA, streaming options are available on Peacock, while Disney+ Hotstar will stream in India, and DStv Now will cover Nigeria.
Fans are encouraged to support their teams passionately yet respectfully, embodying a spirit of camaraderie.