EPL

Maresca welcomes Chelsea selection headache ahead of Brighton clash

By Sports Desk September 25, 2024

Enzo Maresca is glad he has a tough choice to make in terms of his team selection as Chelsea prepare to face Brighton and Hove Albion.

Chelsea have won three in a row without conceding in all competitions, most recently beating fourth-tier Barrow 5-0 in the EFL Cup on Tuesday.

Christopher Nkunku scored a hat-trick in that third-round tie to make it six goals in nine games this season, yet he has made just one Premier League start.

Nicolas Jackson has himself been in good form with six goals in 10 games - four of those goals in the league - and looks set to return upfront for the visit of Brighton on Saturday.

"They're both doing fantastic," Maresca said. "Not only because they score, but because they work off the ball. 

"The way they sacrifice for the team. This is a nice problem when you have two strikers that continue to score. 

"It's nice you can decide which one because they are in a good moment so we can use them."

Maresca suggested he would not be against fielding both players together against Brighton, who are one point behind Chelsea in the table.

Albion are unbeaten in their opening five league games under Fabian Hurzeler, drawing the past three of those ahead of visiting Stamford Bridge.

Hurzeler will not be in the dugout this weekend after being shown a red card in a fiery and eventful 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest last time out.

And Brighton coach Andrew Crofts has mixed feelings on the past couple of results heading into this latest match.

"We are frustrated [after drawing with Forest]," he said. "We felt we definitely did enough in the game and should be speaking about three points.

"We got one point. We have to learn a lot from the last two games for sure and we will. There is lots to analyse and review and to grow from.

"But there is also lots to be positive about as well."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chelsea - Nicolas Jackson

Nkunku is pushing for a start but the shirt is Jackson's to lose in the Premier League after a strong run of form stretching back into last season.

Indeed, the Senegal international has been involved in 13 goals in 13 Premier League games - one more than he managed in his first 27 games.

Brighton - Danny Welbeck

Welbeck has scored three goals and assisted another in five league games this campaign, including a first career goal directly from a free-kick.

The 33-year-old enjoys playing against Chelsea, too, as he has scored three goals in his past four games against them - each strike coming as a substitute.

MATCH PREDICTION - CHELSEA WIN

Brighton are one of four sides unbeaten in the Premier League and are out to go six without loss for the first time to begin a top-flight campaign.

This is a fixture Brighton have traditionally done well in, having won five in a row against Chelsea prior to last season.

That good run came to a halt in 2023-24 as Albion lost home and away against the Blues, who had a player sent off in both games.

Chelsea will be full of confidence as they have won eight of their past 10 league matches, with no team winning more points (25) in that period since early May.

And while they have failed to win their first two Premier League games at Stamford Bridge so far this term, only twice before have they failed to win any of their first three.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Chelsea - 53.6%

Brighton - 24%

Draw - 22.4% 

Related items

  • Saint Lucia, Haiti stay perfect in Groups B and C of League B Saint Lucia, Haiti stay perfect in Groups B and C of League B

    Saint Lucia and Haiti consolidated their leads atop their respective Concacaf Nations League groups following contrasting wins in their League B encounters on Friday.

    Caniggia Elva’s late brace in the 76th and 90th propelled St Lucia to a 2-1 win over Saint Martin, who led for most of the contest courtesy of Axel Raga’s 30th-minute strike in their Group B clash at the Darren Sammy Ground.

    The win moved Saint Lucia to maximum nine points from three games. Curacao and Grenada, who played out a goalless stalemate in the other group contest, sit second and third on four points each, while Saint Martin is still yet to get on the board.

    Over in Group C, Haiti beat host Aruba 3-1 at Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadion.

    Tyron Perret Gentil fired Aruba in front in the sixth minute, but Haiti responded through Frantzdy Pierrot (31st), and a brace from Duckens Nazon, who scored from the penalty spot in the 38th, followed by a 61st-minute close range effort.

    The win saw Haiti move up to nine points from three games, three points ahead of Sint Maarten, who clipped Puerto Rico 3-2 in the other fixture.

    Chovanie Amatkarijo (44th, 85th) and Imar Kort (49th) got the job done for Sint Maarten, while Rodolfo Sulia (2nd) and Alec Diaz (90+5) got Puerto Rico’s goals.

    Puerto Rico remain on three points, with Aruba still pointless.

  • Saka and Jones withdraw from England's Nations League squad Saka and Jones withdraw from England's Nations League squad

    England have confirmed that Arsenal's Bukayo Saka and Liverpool's Curtis Jones have withdrawn from the squad ahead of their Nations League clash with Finland on Sunday. 

    Saka was replaced by Noni Madueke in the 51st minute during England's shock 2-1 defeat to Greece at Wembley on Thursday after picking up an injury in his right leg.

    It only adds to Mikel Arteta's injury worries ahead of facing Bournemouth next Saturday after Martin Odegaard was injured on international duty for Norway last month. 

    Saka has enjoyed a fine start to the Premier League campaign, scoring two goals and laying on a further seven assists in the Gunners' opening seven games. 

    The England international has also created more chances (27) than any other player in the division, with his nine goal involvements a total only bettered by Chelsea's Cole Palmer (11) and Manchester City's Erling Haaland (10). 

    Lee Carsley will also be without uncapped Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, who was added to the Three Lions squad earlier this week, but has since withdrawn due to a personal commitment. 

    Jones earned his first call-up in May as part of Gareth Southgate's provisional 33-man squad for Euro 2024, but did not make the final cut.

    The 23-year-old was part of the Young Lions side that won the 2023 European Under-21 Championship under Carsley, scoring the only goal in their 1-0 win over Spain in the final.

  • Wales will benefit from Iceland collapse in long term, says Bellamy Wales will benefit from Iceland collapse in long term, says Bellamy

    Wales will benefit from the experience of Friday's Nations League draw with Iceland despite squandering a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2, believes boss Craig Bellamy.

    Bellamy's reign began with a positive return of four points from Nations League matches against Turkiye and Montenegro, but they suffered their first major setback under him on Friday.

    Brennan Johnson and Harry Wilson scored to give Wales a 2-0 half-time lead at Laugardalsvollur, only for Logi Tomasson's strike and Danny Ward's own goal to earn Iceland a point.

    Despite Iceland registering the most shots they have ever recorded in a Nations League match (20), Bellamy was not too disheartened by the result.

    "It was good, I enjoyed it. It was what I expected to be honest, I said going out second half that this would be tough," Bellamy told S4C.

    "We'll benefit so much from that 45 minutes, it's so good for us. In the long run this will be beneficial. 

    "Obviously to be 2-0 up and draw is disappointing, but it was a pleasing performance. It was about me learning about the players and them learning from us.

    "It's never good to concede, I don't like it, we'll look at it again. I felt momentum played a big part. It's about us understanding when to take the sting out the game, which will come.

    "Overall, I'm pleased with the performance, we've had two yellows which will mean a change on Monday, but it's predictable due to different styles of refereeing. It is what it is."

    Despite a frustrating second half, Bellamy is the first manager in Wales' history to go unbeaten through his first three competitive games at the helm, with one win and two draws.

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.