Brighton vs Chelsea LIVE commentary: Blues head to south coast looking to close out European football – kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Chelsea face a midweek trip to Brighton as they look to secure European football for next year, and it's live on talkSPORT 2.

The Blues are gunning for a place in the Europa Conference League this season but face a three-way battle with Newcastle and Manchester United.

Mauricio PochettinoThe team is now in a good position to secure some form of European football despite its indifferent start to life under the Argentine.

Meanwhile, the seagulls In fact, it could help decide who ends up in the European places, given that they play Chelsea and Manchester United.

They head into this match off a close 1-1 draw with Newcastle, and Roberto De Zerbi He will want his team to end a disappointing campaign with a bang.

Brighton vs Chelsea: improving Nic Jackson ohh

Given this is Nicholas JacksonIn his first season in the Premier League, he has returned a good number of goals.

The young Senegalese striker has missed many great opportunities this year and is still raw.

But he is the only striker in the club's first team and, after a poor start, he is beginning to look like an accomplished striker.

Jackson scored just two goals in his first nine games, while receiving five yellow cards in that time for dissent.

He scored a hat-trick against nine-man Tottenham, but then scored only two more in the next 13 league games.

However, just as the season nears its end, Jackson is starting to show signs of becoming more consistent in front of goal.

He has seven goals in his last 12 games and has scored for the first time in three consecutive games.

There are certainly some really positive signs.

4

• After a five-game unbeaten run against Chelsea between 2021 and 2023 (W2 D3), Brighton have lost both games against the Blues in all competitions this season.
• Chelsea lost this exact match 4-1 last season, but have never lost consecutive visits to Brighton in all competitions.
• Chelsea have only won their last league game away from home in one of the last six seasons (D1 L4), beating Leeds United 3-0 in 2021-22.

Brighton vs Chelsea: team news

Brighton have been decimated by injuries all season and will be without many important players.

Solly March, Pervis Estupinan, Kaoru Mitoma and Evan Ferguson have no chance of playing in any of their remaining games.

Joao Pedro missed the draw with Newcastle due to an ankle injury and is a doubt for this one.

James Milner has been out for a while with a hamstring problem and is unlikely to be at risk, while Jack Hinshlewood is also injured.

Jan Paul van Hecke is doubtful, while Joel Veltman suffered a knock at the weekend.

By contrast, Chelsea's injury concerns are easing.

Reece James returned to action in the 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest and set up Jackson's winning goal, but is unlikely to start.

But the Blues will be without Wesley Fofana, Robert Sánchez, Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernández, Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka.

4

• Brighton have failed to score more than one goal in each of their last 11 Premier League games, their longest run in the competition. The last time they had a longer streak without scoring at least twice in a league match was between March and August 2015 (12), and the last time they had a longer streak in a single season was in 2004-05 (a streak of 15 between September and December 2004).
• Chelsea have earned 29 points in the Premier League in 2024 (L16, W8, D5, L3), with only the top three clubs, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, having won more since the start of the year. In fact, the Blues have lost just one of their last 13 league games (W7 D5) and will look to win four in a row for the first time since October 2022.
• Chelsea have lost each of their last six midweek Premier League away games (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) since a 0-0 draw with Brentford in October 2022. Their last such win came in May 2022 against Leeds United (3-0). – which was their last away league game of the 2021-22 campaign.

Brighton vs Chelsea: What has been said?

Jamie Redknapp believes Chelsea should keep Pochettino as manager.

There has been much talk that the Blues are willing to part ways with the former Tottenham boss, but Redknapp believes he should stay.

He said: “I really think there has been a dialogue that has been very positive for Mauricio, and next year he will be the coach, from the looks of it.”

“I think it would be crazy not to do that. I think there are a lot of young players there who need a little guidance and a little time, and I certainly think he's the right man.

“I just don't think the answer is to just go, change, cut and get another manager. If things don't start well next season, obviously, maybe start analyzing it, but you can't give one manager a year, managers need time.

“Look what Arteta has had to do. It took him two or three years before he established himself as the dominant figure in that dressing room. Now look, he had some struggles, power struggles, with the players.

“He won those fights and now he runs that club and runs that locker room. Maybe Mauricio has to have that too, and it will take time.”

4

• Brighton have won 16 of their 33 home games in the Premier League under Roberto De Zerbi (D9 L8). A win over Chelsea will mean the Italian has won more games for the Seagulls at the Amex Stadium in the competition than any other manager, surpassing Graham Potter's 16 wins in 60 of those games (Chris Hughton won 13 of 38).
• If James Milner plays for Brighton in this match, it will be the 38th time he has played against Chelsea in the Premier League – the most times a player has faced an opposition in the history of the competition (Ryan Giggs also 38 against Liverpool).
• Cole Palmer has been involved in 31 goals in the Premier League this season (21 goals, 10 assists), and only three Chelsea players have contributed more goal involvements in a single season in the competition; Didier Drogba in 2009-10 (39 – 29G, 10A), Frank Lampard in 2009-10 (36 – 22G, 14A) and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in 2000-01 (32 – 23G, 9A).
• Nicolas Jackson has been directly involved in five goals in his last three Premier League games for Chelsea (4 goals, 1 assist), as many as in his previous 11 games (3 goals, 2 assists). In fact, with 14 league goals this season, none of which have come from penalties, he could be the first Blues player to score 15 non-penalty goals in a Premier League season since Tammy Abraham in 2019-20.

Brighton vs Chelsea: Date and how to follow

This Premier League match will take place on Wednesday, May 15.

Kickoff at the Amex is scheduled for 7:45 p.m.

talkSPORT 2 will have live coverage from the south coast with Alex Crook and former Chelsea defender Scott Minto providing commentary.

talkSPORT.com will also have all the reaction.

To tune in to talkSPORT via the website, Click HERE to watch the live stream.

You can also listen through the talkSPORT appon DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.