There is no place like home for Chelsea over the next seven days, with three high-profile games taking place at Stamford Bridge. Brighton come first in what is an increasingly rare but still traditional Saturday 3pm kick-off for the Blues.

The visit of Fabian Hurzeler's side comes a year and a day after the Seagulls' last visit to SW6. That game ended in a memorable 4-2 win for the Blues, and included a little piece of Premier League history, as Cole Palmer became the first player to score four goals inside the opening 45 minutes.

Enzo Maresca's side is unbeaten in the past five Premier League games that have kicked off at 3pm on a Saturday and the Blues will be hoping to seize all three points after a first league defeat of the season, away to Manchester United, meant a slip to sixth in the table.

Brighton, meanwhile, soared into a two-goal lead at home to Tottenham Hotspur last time out, before being pulled back to a 2-2 draw and dropping to 14th in the early table.

Both sides were in midweek action in the Carabao Cup. The Blues had to work hard to come from behind to beat a stubborn Lincoln City side 2-1 at the LNER Stadium, while Brighton had a far easier evening's work as they thrashed Barnsley 6-0.

The Blues have made Stamford Bridge an imposing venue for visiting teams in 2025. We are unbeaten in the past 12 top-flight games at the Bridge, winning nine of those and keeping seven clean sheets.

A shut-out for the world champions this weekend would make it four clean sheets in a row at Stamford Bridge for the first time since March 2021.

Chelsea team news

Maresca outlined at his pre-match press conference that Palmer is unlikely to feature for the Blues until after the international break due to a groin issue that needs to be managed.

He said: ‘We have decided to protect Cole a little bit, in terms of his injury not getting worse. So we decided to rest him for the next two or three weeks, probably until after the international break, to see whether, with rest, he can recover 100 per cent and be completely fit.

'It’s a matter of managing the pain in his groin. With the amount of games [we have played], it’s something that can happen, so that is the reason why we are trying to be conservative with him to give him rest. Hopefully, he can be 100 per cent fit after the international break.’

Levi Colwill (knee) and Liam Delap (hamstring) are long-term absentees for the Blues, and Maresca confirmed that Tosin Adarabioyo (calf) and Wesley Fofana (concussion) will also be absent against the Seagulls.

There may be two returns, however, with the Blues head coach stating decisions over the fitness of Benoit Badiashile and Romeo Lavia will be taken ahead of the Seagulls' visit.

He explained: ‘Romeo and Benoit are better, we will see if they can join us tomorrow. Otherwise, it will be for the next game.’

The History

The Blues have won 70 per cent of our league encounters against Brighton at Stamford Bridge. In fact, we claimed victory in each of the Seagulls’ first six league visits without conceding – an aggregate 10-0.

There have been plenty of goals in Brighton's last two outings in SW6. On 3 December 2023, we came away with a 3-2 victory courtesy of a first Chelsea goal from Colwill and a brace from Enzo Fernandez, the second of which came with the Blues down to 10 men after Conor Gallagher had been dismissed.

Coincidentally, the Brighton players on the score sheet that day now wear Blue. Facundo Buonanotte and Joao Pedro both netted for the Seagulls, although their efforts only ever trimmed Chelsea's advantage in the contest.

Last season was the sensational Palmer show. Brighton had taken the lead through Georginio Rutter, only for the England international to score a 10-minute hat-trick to put the Blues in command.

The Seagulls pulled a goal back through Carlos Baleba, but the Wythenshawe wonder left supporters' mouths agape by scoring again before the interval.

It remained 4-2 until the final whistle, and Palmer's display earned him the Premier League’s Best Individual Performance of the Season accolade.

Know this…

Chelsea have averaged 61.4 per cent possession in this season’s Premier League. For Brighton, the figure is 45.8 per cent.

The Seagulls have won once in 10 league visits to Stamford Bridge, a 2-1 comeback win in April 2023.

Moises Caicedo has completed 25.6 per cent of Chelsea’s tackles (21/82) in the Premier League, the highest proportion Opta has ever recorded (since 2006/07).

Half of the Blues’ 10 Premier League goals this season have come after corners (five).

We are the only team in the top tier not to have fielded a player aged 30 or over in this season's Premier League.

Only Alisson (Liverpool), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), and Caoimhin Kelleher (Brentford) have intercepted a lower percentage of crosses than Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.

Buonanotte is ineligible to play against his parent club, but Robert Sanchez is available after suspension. His fifth-minute red card away to Manchester United was Chelsea’s earliest in the Premier League.

At Old Trafford, Enzo Maresca became the first manager to make three substitutions in the opening 21 minutes of a Premier League game.

There’s still time to secure your seat for Saturday's 3pm kick-off against the Seagulls with Club Chelsea. Limited packages remaining, book now.