Chelsea welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Stamford Bridge in Gameweek 2.
Chelsea will host their favorite transfer partners at Stamford Bridge as Xabi Alonso looks to make it 2 wins out of 2 in the Premier League. Chelsea have developed something of a habit of shopping at Brighton in recent years with Welbeck recently moving to Stamford Bridge.
Starting the season with a win! ✊#CFC | #FULCHE pic.twitter.com/7qAdYSC569
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 24, 2026
The 35-year-old has already made an instant impact, scoring on his Chelsea debut in the 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Luton Town.
Chelsea could hardly have asked for a better beginning to the Alonso era in competitive football. The Blues opened their Premier League campaign with a 3-2 victory away at Fulham before following it up with a comfortable 2-0 win over Luton in the Carabao Cup.
The Seagulls were sensational on the opening weekend, dismantling Aston Villa 4-0 with all four goals arriving inside the first 31 minutes. Fabian Hürzeler’s side then followed that performance by beating Tromso 4-0 to book their place in the Conference League league phase.
Brighton will also take confidence from their recent dominance of this fixture.
The Seagulls have won the last four meetings in all competitions, including a 3-0 victory at the Amex last season and a remarkable 3-1 comeback at Stamford Bridge in September 2025. Welbeck scored twice in stoppage time in that latter game after Chelsea had been reduced to 10 men.
Now, remarkably, Welbeck could be involved against the club he helped punish that night.
Chelsea’s attack will again be led by Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and João Pedro, with the latter facing his former club after making the move from Brighton to Chelsea in 2025. The Brazilian has already shown signs of becoming an important figure in Alonso’s attack.
For Brighton, Jack Hinshelwood is one to watch after his brace against Villa, while Maxim De Cuyper also made a huge impression in that 4-0 victory. The Belgian scored once and was heavily involved in Brighton’s devastating attacking display.
THE PERFECT START TO OUR #PL SEASON! 😁 pic.twitter.com/5sFHdbYrNg
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@BHAFC) August 23, 2026
Team News
Chelsea have been handed a boost with Alonso hopeful that Moises Caicedo will be fit enough to face his former club. Levi Colwill and Geovany Quenda are also in contention, while Marco Palestra remains unavailable. Jordan Henderson is continuing his recovery from a broken wrist.
Up next: Our first #PL home game of the season. 🏡 pic.twitter.com/mjWt7xaaLj
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 29, 2026
Welbeck is unlikely to start against his former club despite scoring against Luton, but he provides Alonso with another experienced attacking option from the bench.
Brighton have concerns of their own, with Jack Hinshelwood and Georginio Rutter among those facing fitness doubts, while Evan Ferguson remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury.
Chelsea vs Brighton Predicted XI
Chelsea Predicted XI:
Sanchez; Fofana, Lacroix, Colwill; Gusto, Reece James, Lavia, Hato; Palmer, Rogers; Joao Pedro
Brighton Predicted XI:
Verbruggen; Wieffer, Vuskovic, Dunk, Boscagli; Gross, Ayari; Gomez, O’Riley, De Cuyper; Kostoulas
Score Prediction
Chelsea 2-1 Brighton
