Do we have 2020 vision? Yes, indeed we do! The very first Premier League match of 2020 will kick off at Brighton & Hove Albion, where the Seagulls will host fourth place Chelsea FC. Actually being in the top four at the mid point of the season is way better than most expected of the Blues, back in the preseason.
As an added bonus, they have qualified for the UEFA Champions League round of 16, plus the transfer ban has been lifted and now they can buy new players again in the new window. As for Brighton, they have gone from being one of the least watchable teams in the Premiership to one of the most compelling.
The addition of manager Graham Potter has been huge, and the club were right to give him an extension. He’s improved the side significantly.
In turning to the team team news for this match, Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic “felt a hamstring training after the Southampton game” and got left out of the win over Arsenal “as a precaution.” He’s a doubt for this clash.
Marcos Alonso and Reece James also missed the Arsenal game on Sunday due to injury and are thus doubtful for the midweek clash.
Solly March and Jose Izquierdo remain sidelined for the Seagulls.
Chelsea at Brighton FYIs
Chelsea Starting XI Prediction: go to this link
Kickoff: Amex Stadium, 12:30pm Jan 1, 2020
TV coverage (UK): BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate
Google Result Probability: Chelsea win 47%, Brighton win 27%, Draw 26%
Form guide: Chelsea WLWLL Brighton WLLDD
Odds via Betway: Chelsea win 1.95, Brighton win 3.75, Draw 3.75
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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