EPL Soccer: Chelsea vs. Brighton:
Week 6 of the English Premier League kicks off on Saturday, September 28, with a matchup between 5th-place Chelsea and 7th-place Brighton as the two teams try to climb toward top-four status in the EPL.
How to Watch Cheslea vs. Brighton
Where: PEACOCK
When: Saturday 10:00 a.m. ET
Chelsea vs. Brighton Odds
Total: 3 (-101/-109)
I have been saying all season that I’m not quite sure about Chelsea. But eight games in, I really like what I see.
The manager has got them playing with great style. It comes with a swagger that we have seen from some of the quality Chelsea sides of the recent past. Cole Palmer effectively carried them single-handed last term, but he has been joined by several of his teammates in impressing across the opening fixtures.
There was a hat trick from Christopher Nkunku in the League Cup in midweek, admittedly against lower-league opposition. That followed a two-goal blast from Nicolas Jackson against West Ham last weekend and a hat trick from Noni Madueke at Wolves earlier in the season. They have goals galore throughout the side.
At the other end of the pitch, in what I thought was going to be a problem position, the goalkeeper is playing well. That has bred confidence among the defenders in front of him. They now don’t look like conceding many goals at all.
After three wins on the spin in all competitions without conceding a goal, they face a Brighton side I am not convinced by. Brighton started life under their new manager well with wins against Everton and Manchester United, so much so that Fabian Hürzeler picked up the Manager of the Month award for August.
But since then, it has been three straight draws in the Premier League, the first of which against Arsenal was so lucky. The Gunners dominated until the game-changing sending off of Declan Rice.
Going off as -350 favorites, the Seagulls failed to break down newly promoted Ipswich in a 0-0 tie against a side. They have yet to record a win this term. Last weekend saw a far from impressive performance as they were held at home 2-2 by Nottingham Forest.
I just think Chelsea are an improving side, and this could be the last time this season we can back them at -137 to beat mid-table Premier League opposition, which is where I rate Brighton. Give it a few weeks when the market catches up with Enzo Maresca’s side and we will be seeing them go off at -200.
This is an early-season move that gets us a side with lots of value in our pocket. I genuinely think Chelsea are on the verge of something special. They can push into the Champions League places and quite easily win a cup competition.
Stamford Bridge regulars should be very excited for what they are seeing unfold on the pitch. The sacking of Mauricio Pochettino, now head coach of the USMNT, was seen as a mistake, but it’s beginning to look a masterstroke, especially given how well they played in beating West Ham last week.
These two sides met three times last season, with Chelsea winning all three, 1-0 and 3-2 wins here in the League Cup and Premier League, followed by a 2-1 win at Brighton as recently as May. Since then, I think the Blues have upped their level considerably. Although this is a little shorter than my normal play, I can’t overlook it as my best bet of the weekend.
EPL Best Bet: Chelsea vs Brighton – Chelsea Moneyline at -137.
