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In a transfer window that has been rather strange due to the financial strain on the clubs caused by the Covid pandemic, Chelsea's ruthless transfer activity has been a rare sight. They have bolstered their squad quite well and have broke the bank to bring in some solid reinforcements.
Now the Blues are all set to kickstart their 2020-21 Premier League season as they travel to take on Brighton and Hove Albion. Chelsea are expected to mount a title challenge this time around. However, though they look solid on paper, there are still some issues that could hamper their progress.
Let's take a look at 5 reasons why Chelsea could struggle against Brighton.
#5 New signings require time to bed in
Chelsea have splashed the cash this transfer window and upgraded their already promising attack by bringing in the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell, Malang Sarr and Thiago Silva.
However, the Premier League is quite different compared to the Bundesliga or the Ligue 1 and the high-intensity football is going to take some getting used to. Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva have already been ruled out of the game and it will be interesting to see how the likes of Werner and Havertz fare.
Brighton are a physically dominant side and they are not going to make it easy for the new arrivals. So while Chelsea fans will be expecting the new signings to justify their price tags from the get-go, things won't be that simple and, in fact, tonight could prove to be a real test of the newcomers' mental strength.
#4 Chelsea's shaky defence still remains the same
Though Chelsea have added Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell to the mix, neither of them are available for the game tonight. As such, Chelsea's shaky defence remains the same. On top of that, Cesar Azpilicueta only started training on Wednesday and tonight's game might come too soon for him.
Chelsea had the worst defensive record among the teams that finished on the top half of the Premier League table last season. Frank Lampard's side conceded 54 goals and had a goal difference of just +15.
To put things into perspective, Manchester United conceded only 36 goals and despite scoring three goals less than Chelsea in the 2019-20 season, they finished above Chelsea by a superior goal difference of +18.
#3 Chelsea's woeful recent away form
It's important to start the season on a positive note. Having to play catch up after the first gameweek could prove to be quite a burden for teams and especially for one like Chelsea that harbours title aspirations.
As such, Chelsea would have liked it if they could have kickstarted their campaign at home. They have lost four of their last five away games across the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. What's a cause for concern is the fact that two of those defeats came against Sheffield United and Aston Villa.
Winning those two games would have helped Chelsea clinch a Champions League spot without having to depend on their luck on the final day of the season. They will need to shake off their poor form and turn over a new leaf and given all the changes they've gone through of late, it could prove to be a tough task.
#2 Brighton held Chelsea down 2 weeks back
Brighton and Chelsea had played out a 1-1 draw just a couple of weeks back when the two sides met for a pre-season friendly. And that's after Willy Caballero saved a Neil Maupey penalty in the 49th minute of the game.
Adam Webster's header in the 58th minute skimmed off the crossbar as well before Brighton finally drew level in the 90th minute. It's safe to say that Chelsea did not exactly cover themselves in glory in the friendly match against Brighton. They will surely hope that it's not a sign of things to come.
The last time that Chelsea faced Brighton away from home in the league was in January and the result was a 1-1 draw as well. As such, Chelsea will be wary of the threat the Seagulls pose going into the game.
#1 All pressure on Chelsea
After spending heavily in the transfer window when nearly every other side has been forced to tread on the side of caution in the Covid pandemic landscape, Chelsea could draw a lot of stick with an underwhelming performance in their season opener.
It is very important for them to kick off their new season on a positive note and they would like to avoid the brutish judgments of the British media for as long as they could. Brighton, on the other hand, will be looking to come out swinging as it is not a fixture that they are expected to win after having finished 15th on the table last season and just 7 points clear of the relegation zone.
As such, Chelsea will need to cope with the pressure if they're to dig up a good result tonight.
