Obvious what the main storyline will be here on Saturday, when Chelsea visits Brighton & Hove Albion. Yes, Graham Potter makes his homecoming, of sorts. The Blues boss took over on Sept 10, leaving Brighton behind, and this will be his first match against his former club.
It will be emotional for him, and his former players, and very intriguing for us outside observers. So let’s preview this baby.
Chelsea FC at Brighton & Hove Albion FYIs
Kickoff: Sat, Oct 29, 3pm, Amex Stadium
After Extra Time Podcast: Spotify Apple
Premier League Position: Chelsea 5th, 21 pts Brighton 9th, 15 pts
Google Result Probability: Chelsea 38% Brighton 33% Draw 29%
Team News for Both Sides
Nothing has changed for Chelsea this week, with regards to the fitness situation. Reece James, Wesley Fofana and N’Golo Kante remain out while Kalidou Koulibaly remains a doubt.
Flipping over to the Seagulls, Jakub Moder and Kaoru Mitoma are long-term injury absentees. Ex Liverpool and Southampton man Adam Lallana is a doubt. Ditto for and Joel Veltman.
Chelsea Starting XI Prediction
We think we’ll see some squad rotation here again, as Potter manages the workload brought on by the pre–World Cup fixture congestion. Will Potter utilize that wing-back stuff again?
Will the forwards play in those roles? The other option would be to go with a more standard style 4-2-3-1 formation.
Kepa; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Silva; Pulisic, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Mount, Sterling; Broja, Aubameyang
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.