LIVE BLOG

90+3min: FULL TIME. Chelsea win!

90+2min: Super, Super Frank rings around the stadium, and the manager returns the appreciation.

90min: Brighton have a second corner, but this time they do not come close to scoring. Azpilicueta then blocks a Burn shot to preserve the clean sheet.

85min: Michy straight into the action as he tries to dribble three and create his own shot, but he gets that part wrong and the goalkeeper collects the harmless effort.

84min: Batshuayi on for Abraham.

82min: Chelsea win the ball in midfield, finding Abraham making the run. He plays it across to Hudson-Odoi, but Brighton clear for a corner with a last-ditch tackle.

79min: Chelsea play the corner short and CHO and Willian play a two-man game to create a crossing opportunity for the latter. Brighton clear. Glenn Murray on for Maupay in the meantime.

78min: And it should be three as Kovacic finds Abraham with a through ball. The big man shakes off a defender and tries to chip the goalkeeper, who stays up and makes the save.

76min: GOAL!!!! WILLIAN!!! Alonso heads clear to Hudson-Odoi, who steams forward and finds Willian with a cross-field ball this time. Willian takes on his man, takes aim, gets a slight deflection, and scores! 2-0, CHELSEA!!!

74min: Willian’s almost in after pressuring high, but a defender covers the mistake and plays back to his goalkeeper.

72min: Alzate spins Azpilicueta, beats another, then takes a shot that deflects off Christensen just wide of the near post. Brighton then win the far post header on the corner, but Chelsea get lucky as the ball bounces up off the ground and onto the bar and out.

70min: Jorginho puts in a good block as Groß takes aim. Kovačić then wins a foul to relieve the pressure from the visitors.

69min: Great combination on the left wing between CHO, Mount, and Abraham to get Chelsea into the final third, before CHO spots Willian on the right and tries to find him with a first-time pass. There’s just a bit too much on it however and Willian cannot get to it.

68min: Barkley off, Kovačić on.

67min: Jorginho’s latest chipped effort into the area doesn’t find a target and runs through to the goalkeeper.

63min: Hudson-Odoi on for Pedro. Brighton make a change as well, with Connolly coming on for Mooy. Connolly straight into the action, but loses the footrace to Christensen, who covers the long ball and clears.

62min: Abraham nicks the ball away on a Stephens backpass in the penalty area, but the goalkeeper is alert to it and makes the save on the first-time shot.

60min: Brighton open Chelsea and play in a great cross from the left. Groß gets to it ahead of Tomori, but doesn’t make good contact, as the ball bounces off his shoulder and well over the bar.

58min: Willian plays in Abraham on the right flank, but his cross is over the head of everyone. Alonso picks it up on the far side, but he can’t beat Alzate who clears.

55min: Christensen with a ball over the top on the right, finding Azpilicueta on the run. But his first touch is a bit too long and the goalkeeper can collect. At the other end, Tomori covers excellently once again.

52min: Long ball forward almost catches out Chelsea, but Tomori recovers to defend well 1-v-1 against Maupay and prevent the chance.

51min: Barkley this time winning the ball high up, plays in Pedro, but his shots is saved by Ryan.

50min: GOAL! JORGINHO! Jorginho casually jogs up and slots it into the corner with Ryan standing still in the middle. Easy as you like. 1-0, CHELSEA!

49min: PENALTY! Brighton play short, and Webster’s loose touch gives Mount an opportunity to nip in. He gets there first, and is then fouled by Webster. VAR checks, agrees.

48min: Chelsea with a flowing move forward, with Jorginho finding Azpilicueta, who plays a nice ball across, which is just cleared. Willian’s follow-up effort from the top of the box is caught by the goalkeeper.

46min: Brighton make one change at half, Bong on for Bissouma, as Chelsea get us back underway.

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HALF-TIME: Chelsea guilty of missing several excellent chances, and so it remains scoreless.

45+1min: Pedro twists and turns and fires with his left, but it’s straight at the goalkeeper, who does not give away a rebound with Alonso lurking.

45min: Tomori finds Mount inside the area, but Brighton’s last ditch tackle prevents the shooting opportunity. Jorginho then works hard to win the ball back, but Wilian’s cross eludes Abraham and the goalkeeper collects.

44min: Jorginho wins a foul 25 yards out, right channel. Willian swings it in, Alonso wins the far post header back across the area, but Brighton then clear with bodies falling to the ground.

41min: Azpilicueta with a great cross this time from deep, finding Alonso making the far post run, but his volley on the short hop is blazed past the top corner. Would’ve put money on him there to score.

39min: Jorginho picks out Pedro with a great ball over the top, but his shot isn’t good enough to beat Ryan, and his follow-up is blocked. Alonso then fires one low across the area, but it’s cleared.

36min: Alonso in acres space on the left, picks out Barkley making the far post run, but his cushioned volley is straight at the keeper and saved. A better finish was needed there.

35min: Willian with a great turn in midfield, plays square to Barkley, who takes a long shot that is deflected up and wide for a corner. Brighton can’t quite clear the corner, but Barkley’s snap shot on the turn is blocked.

33min: A through ball for Maupay finds him 1-v-1 with Kepa, but the Chelsea goalkeeper stands tall and makes the block. Jorginho cannot keep the ball and Brighton look to have another chance, but Alzate is called for simulation as he tumbles over Azpilicueta’s challenge.

32min: Brighton swing in the free kick, but Chelsea hold strong this time. We cannot hold on to the ball however, and Brighton have possession in their own half once again.

30min: Brighton keep up the pressure. Alonso challenges in the air for a crossfield switch, but is called for an arm to the head and gets a yellow, too.

29min: Chelsea a bit slow and predictable in playing out from the back, until Jorginho wins a foul. Kepa then goes long, but Chelsea can’t hold the ball. Brighton come forward on the wing, swinging in a deep cross, which is headed clear by Azpilicueta.

28min: Both teams pass it around for a bit, in turn, without doing much with the ball. A long ball eventually runs through to Kepa, who’s then blocked off by Maupay on the subsequent bowl-out. Maupay gets booked for his troubles.

23min: Christensen gives the ball away with a terrible pass and Brighton have a chance to counter. Christensen prevents that by dragging back his man, but gets rightfully booked for it. Tomori clears the resulting free kick, but waste the counter.

22min: Another Willian effort is blocked. At the other end, Bissouma clatters into Tomori, who stays down briefly, but is fortunately able to carry on.

20min: Chelsea keep up the pressure, as Jorginho swings in a short cross from deep towards Abraham. He connects with a first-time volley, but it’s blocked yet again.

19min: Abraham with a lovely chest control and lay off to Barkley. He tries to create his own shot, but it’s blocked. The rebound falls to Pedro, but his shot is blocked as well. Mount’s cross then cleared for a throw.

17min: Brighton with a chance to counter as Webster’s allowed to run a long ways, but Chelsea prevent a shot successfully and Pedro eventually wins the ball after some good tracking back.

15min: Willian tries the cut-in and shoot move again, this time hammering his shot at the chest of defender.

14min: Abraham wins a free kick on the left touchline. Mount swings it in perfectly, just missing Abraham’s head and hitting the far post! So close. Any touch from Abraham and that’s probably a goal.

13min: Barkley dallies on the ball and is caught in possession not for the first time. Brighton quickly turn towards goal, but fortunately Christensen’s on hand to clear the cross with two bearing down.

11min: Mount switches wide to Willian, he cuts inside one, then two, then takes aim, but blazes it well wide and over the bar.

9min: Abraham tracks back on the right wing to win the ball and get Chelsea going forward again. Some nice passing right-to-left then left-to-right leads to a good crossing opportunity for Azpilicueta, but it’s blocked and cleared.

6min: A nice stepover from Willian lets the ball run through to Mount on the left wing. He outpaces his defender and lays it across for Abraham, but he can’t quite get his shot on target with a defender in close attention.

4min: Mount takes the corner, it hits a body at the near post and bounces out to Jorginho at the top of the area. He mis-hits his volley but Alonso’s there to almost flick it into the back of the net. But he doesn’t quite connect and Brighton have a goal kick.

2min: Willian and Abarham play a lovely 1-2, but Willian’s shot is blocked. A pass to Pedro is then just off his heels, then Mount tumbles at the top of the box, then Abraham wins a corner as Chelsea pressure early.

KICK-OFF: Brighton get us underway, but Chelsea win the ball back quickly and start passing it around.

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Chelsea look for a home win the Premier League, and build a little positive momentum on the pitch as well.

Here we go!

But there’s bad news from the off, as both N’Golo Kanté and Kurt Zouma miss out, the former with a hamstring issue and the latter with illness. Not much defense in this starting lineup!

“Kanté felt a bit of awareness in his hamstring this week. It’s something he has been carrying this week even though he has been training with us. I had a conversation with him and we felt it was too risky to play him.

“Kurt Zouma fell ill this morning, so he misses out as well. Other than that, they are all selection decisions that I’ve gone with to freshen the team up a little bit. I feel that we should be strong today.”

-Frank Lampard; source: 5th Stand

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Chelsea starting lineup (4-2-3-1):
Arrizabalaga | Alonso, Tomori, Christensen, Azpilicueta (c) | Barkley, Jorginho | Willian, Mount, Pedro | Abraham

Substitutes from: Caballero, Guehi, James, Kovačić, Hudson-Odoi, Pulisic, Batshuayi

Brighton starting lineup (3-4-3)
Ryan | Burn, Dunk, Webster | Alzate, Stephens, Bissouma, Montoya | Mooy, Maupay, Groß

Substitutes from: Button, Bong, Schelotto, Baluta, Jahanbakhsh, Murray, Connolly

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Date / Time: Saturday, September 28, 2019, 15.00 BST; 10am EDT; 7:30pm IST
Venue: Stamford Bridge, SW6
Referee: Chris Kavanagh

On TV: none (UK); NBCSN, Universo (USA); Star Spors Select HD1 (India); elsewhere
Streaming: NBC Sports Live, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo (USA); Hotstar (India)

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Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes!