Chelsea return to FA Cup action this evening as they travel down to the south coast to take on Premier League rivals Brighton.
It is the first of two meetings between the sides in the space of six days, with the Blues going back down to the Amex Stadium next Friday in the league. Before that, though, it is time for Enzo Maresca and his players to focus on England’s oldest and most prestigious cup competition, with the west Londoners bidding to win the trophy for the first time since 2018.
The eight-time FA Cup winners, though, have to get past a strong Brighton side first, albeit a Seagulls team that were demolished 7-0 at Nottingham Forest a week ago. How strong will Maresca go for this competition? It is difficult to predict and there is not much evidence given they played League Two minnows Morecambe in the third round last month.
However, with Chelsea having a six-day gap between matches, the head coach may well be inclined to go strong with his team selection. Bobby Vincent, our Chelsea correspondent, discusses such matters below…
