Chelsea will be looking to pick up their first victory since Frank Lampard’s return when they take on Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.
A 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid dealt Chelsea a huge blow to their Champions League hopes in their last outing, with the Blues needing to overcome the deficit next week at Stamford Bridge. For now, attention turns back to the Premier League, where Chelsea face high-flyers Brighton.
The Seagulls are currently 7th in the Premier League table, much better off than Lampard’s side in 11th. A win could take the Blues into 10th, but the last meeting ended in a 4-1 win to Brighton, with Chelsea keen to avoid another defeat.
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So, could Chelsea end their goal drought and pick up three points on Saturday? We simulated the game to get a score prediction and this is what happened.
Chelsea vs Brighton simulated to get a score prediction
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions. Managers cannot be changed in FIFA 23 kick-off, so Potter is still listed as Chelsea manager.
We predict that the Blues could line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Kepa; James, Silva, Badiashile, Chilwell; Fernandez, Kante, Mount; Madueke, Havertz, Mudryk.
We predict that the Seagulls could set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Steele; Veltman, Webster, Dunk, Estupinan; Gross, Caicedo; March, Mac Allister, Mitoma; Ferguson.
Plenty of chances fell Chelsea's way in the first half, with N'Golo Kante pulling the strings in midfield whilst Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz looked dangerous in attack. Chances were wasted though, and with one of their first chances of the game, Brighton took the lead.
Some intricate passing play in midfield saw Brighton break through the Chelsea team, with Kauro Mitoma fizzing a ball into the path of Evan Ferguson. The youngster took one touch out of his feet before drilling a powerful shot across goal and into the corner.
Havertz came close twice following the opener, but some wayward strikes saw the chances go begging. Brighton were a dangerous force on the break, and not long after the restart, they doubled the lead to pile the misery on the Blues.
As Chelsea passed the ball around the back, pressure from the Seagulls forced Reece James into a mistake, with the defender's pass across the box loose. The ball fell into the path of Alexis Mac Allister, and the Argentine rifled his shot into the top corner, leaving Kepa rooted to the spot.
Lampard's side failed to reply, and the Blues fell to a disappointing defeat.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Chelsea 0-2 Brighton
Here are the full-time stats:
FIFA 23 predicts that Chelsea's goal drought could continue, losing 2-0 to Brighton in the simulation. The Blues had the better chances but were poor in front of goal, failing to win for a sixth consecutive game.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!
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