Brighton vs Chelsea LIVE: FA Cup result and reaction as Mitoma brilliantly seals Seagulls win
Brighton 2-1 Chelsea: The Seagulls got back to winning ways in style to edge Chelsea out of the FA Cup
Brighton have bounced back from ignominy at Nottingham Forest in style as they came from behind to defeat Chelsea in all Premier League FA Cup fourth round clash.
It was a nightmare for the hosts as Bart Verbruggen produced a howler to gift Chelsea the lead, parrying Cole Palmer’s bouncing delivery into his own side-netting on five minutes.
However, Brighton responded superbly to falling behind, with Georginio Rutter latching on to a fantastic Joel Veltman cross to equalise just seven minutes later.
They continued to be the better team for much of the contest and got their reward after the break, with Kaoru Mitoma brilliantly flicking over Robert Sanchez to complete Brighton’s turnaround.
Relive all the action from the FA Cup with our live blog below:
How the teams got to this stage
Brighton cruised into the fourth round round of the competition with a 4-0 win over Norwich - but as they look to bounce back from a 7-0 thrashing at Forest, Fabian Hurzeler knows that Chelsea will pose a wildly different test.
Chelsea similarly came through the third round with little to know trouble, with defender Tosin Adarabioyo scoring a surprise brace in a 5-0 demolition of League Two side Morecambe.
When is the FA Cup fifth round draw?
Brighton and Chelsea will be vying for a place in the FA Cup fifth round as both teams look to keep their dreams of silverware alive.
Here’s everything you need to know about the fifth round draw:
When is the draw?
The draw for the fifth round of the FA Cup will take place on Monday, 10 February at 7.10pm.
How can I watch the draw?
The draw will be broadcasted live on BBC One. Subscribers can also watch online via BBC iPlayer.
Injury woes up top for Maresca
Enzo Maresca will be scratching his head over who will start up front for Chelsea today.
Both Nicolas Jackson and understudy Marc Guiu suffered injuries in the win over West Ham last week. Compounded by a lack of movement in the January transfer window, the Spaniard has little to no natural strikers to choose from.
Expect Chistopher Nkunku or Cole Palmer to start in the nine slot - a step out of their comfort zone for either.
Odds and prediction
Odds
Brighton to win – 17/10
Draw – 15/8
Chelsea to win – 11/10
Prediction
A close affair should come down to which coach manages their squads better as substitutes and fringe players could be key to getting over the line. Chelsea will be the favourites to progress but Brighton’s need to banish the memories of their loss to Nottingham Forest may mean they are up for a fight.
Predicted lineups
Brighton XI: Verbruggen; Veltman, Van Hecke, Webster, Lamptey; Hinshelwood, Ayari; Minteh, Pedro, Mitoma; Rutter
Chelsea XI: Jorgensen; James, Adarabioyo, Acheampong, Chalobah; Caicedo, Dewsbury-Hall; Neto, Nkunku, George; Guiu
Chelsea team news
For Chelsea, Mykhaylo Mudryk is suspended while Wesley Fofana, Omari Kellyman, Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile all remain unavailable for selection.
Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu both picked up injuries in Chelsea's win over West Ham and are doubts for this weekend's contest though Christopher Nkunku is expected to start.
Brighton team news
Brighton’s Mats Wieffer is training again but Saturday's game is too soon for a return.
Carlos Baleba and Yasin Ayari both missed last Saturday's game against Nottingham Forest and are doubts for the game along with Pervis Estupinan.
Jason Steele, Igor Julio, Ferdi Kadioglu, James Milner and Solly March are all out due to injury.
Is Brighton vs Chelsea on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch FA Cup fixture
When is Brighton vs Chelsea?
The FA Cup fixture will kick off at 8pm GMT on Saturday 8 February at the Amex Stadium in Brighton.
What TV channel is it on?
This fixture will be shown free-to-air on ITV4 in the UK, with subscribers also able to stream online via ITVX. Coverage begins at 7.15pm.
Good afternoon
It’s an all Premier League clash in the FA Cup fourth round as Brighton take on Chelsea in tonight’s late kick off.
The Seagulls hope to get back to winning ways after an embarrassing 7-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest in their last outing and manager Fabian Hurzeler will hope a marquee win over Chelsea can boost his team’s confidence.
Chelsea’s 2-1 win over West Ham last time out sent them back into the Premier League’s top four and they’ll be hoping to continue that form into a strong cup run.
We’ll have all the build-up and updates for tonight’s clash, right here.
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