Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League clash between Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea at the Amex Stadium.
The hosts come into this match looking to bounce back from defeat at Burnley last time out, but they have lost just once at home in the league all season and could climb into the top half with victory today.
Chelsea, meanwhile, became the first team to topple champions Manchester City in the league last weekend and are looking to keep in touch with the top three here.
Make sure you don't miss a moment of the action courtesy of our minute-by-minute updates below.
Both of these teams have enjoyed decent campaigns up to this point but are coming into this match off the back of contrasting results last weekend. Brighton's home record - of which I will speak discuss more later - makes this game look a lot more interesting than it may appear at first glance, but Chelsea remain the favourites to come away with all three points.
I will have a look at exactly why a little later, but first let's check out the team news...
What that does mean is that Eden Hazard will lead the line once again for the visitors today, chosen ahead of Olivier Giroud with Alvaro Morata missing out entirely due to a knee injury. Willian and Pedro continue either side of Hazard on the flanks, but he will be the focal point of the attack today.
Before yesterday's games the Belgian was the leading assist-maker in the league with eight - including both goals against Man City - which is already double the tally he achieved in 34 games last season.
Should he register another assist today then he would have managed at least one in four successive Premier League outings for the first time. The last Chelsea player to achieve that feat was Cesc Fabregas in September 2014.
© Reuters
Willian - who scored the opener in Budapest - is the only player to retain his place in the side from that win as the likes of Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek once again have to make do with a place on the bench.
At the back, Sarri reverts to his preferred back four and the world's most expensive goalkeeper is behind them, although Kepa has not kept consecutive league clean sheets on a personal basis since August 2017 in La Liga.
The should problem which kept him out of the side has now healed, though, and the veteran will be looking to add to his tally of eight league goals already. Those goals have won Brighton nine points this season, which is the joint-highest tally of any player alongside Richarlison and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
© Reuters
Montoya replaces the veteran Bruno at right-back - perhaps to help deal with the pace of Chelsea's wingers and benefit from his knowledge of former Barcelona teammate Pedro - while Stephens comes in for Bissouma.
Duffy's absence means that Leon Balogun once again starts alongside Dunk at the heart of the defence, having come on and scored within seconds during that derby against Palace.
Propper will have the job of quelling the influence of that Chelsea midfield alongside Stephens and the creative talents of Gross, the latter of whom is yet to rediscover the fine form from his debut season so far this term.
It is easy to forget that last term was the Seagulls' first in the Premier League, but they have never looked in any serious danger of suffering relegation since then and the same is very much true at this stage of the campaign - although Hughton will know that there is still a long way to go in this Premier League season.
Indeed, despite sitting 13th in the table, Brighton are only five points adrift of sixth-placed Manchester United and a victory today could see them move into the top half of the table, should they win by enough. It is all very tight in the middle of the standings and Brighton are firmly in that second mini-league which has developed.
© Reuters
The Seagulls are already more than halfway there, though, and are four points better off than at the same stage of last season. Brighton only won nine matches throughout the 2017-18 campaign, but they have already picked up maximum points on six occasions this term.
The Seagulls would have finished rock-bottom of the table last season had only away form counted, whereas their home form alone would have left them eighth. It is a similar story so far this season too, where they have been beaten only once on their home patch.
However, the concern going into today's match will be that four of their five home defeats since their promotion to the Premier League have come against members of the 'big six'.
Their next four home games all come against teams currently sitting in the top seven of the table, with Arsenal, Everton and Liverpool following in succession to today's game. Only the top four have conceded fewer goals at home than Brighton this season, though, and they average two points a game at the Amex in 2018-19, so they will fancy their chances of pulling off a shock along the way.
While their defensive strength is the second pillar of their success since promotion, their attack exploits - even with the in-form Glenn Murray - have at times let them down and 13 of their 19 goals scored this season have come from set pieces.
Manchester City were unbeaten and looking like good bets for the title before their trip to Stamford Bridge last weekend, but the Blues pulled off a huge 2-0 victory which not only dented City's title hopes, but also breathed new life into their own.
© Reuters
It also went some way to debunking the growing belief that Chelsea are a simple team to nullify - stop Jorginho and you stop Chelsea. That opinion arose from a couple of defeats in quick succession, but the Blues proved against City that it is not quite that simple.
Only goal difference currently separates them from London rivals Arsenal in fifth, and Chelsea fans may have one eye on how the Gunners get on against Southampton at the same time as this match.
The Blues looked like genuine title contenders when they won their first five league games of the campaign, but since then they have won only five of the next 11, drawing four and losing against both Spurs and Wolves. No manager in Premier League history has made such a long unbeaten start to their career in the division, but Sarri warned all the way that there was still plenty of work to do and he has been proved right in recent weeks.
© Reuters
It was a much-changed Chelsea side which took on Videoton in the Europa League on Thursday night, though, and they had already won the group comfortably before behind held to a 2-2 draw by their Hungarian opponents, needing a 75th-minute Giroud goal to avoid defeat.
There have been occasional blips from some of the backline - the Tottenham game immediately springs to mind - but only Liverpool and Man City have conceded fewer so far this term.
It is only a recent slump, though; Chelsea had won seven and lost none of their previous eight away games across all competitions prior to their current run of three without a win, which includes Thursday's trip to Hungary.
Brighton have been strong at home this season and should give Chelsea a good game, but the Blues will be flying after that triumph over Man City last weekend. We're going for an away victory for Chelsea.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Brighton 1-2 Chelsea
Chelsea have won those games by an aggregate score of 12-1, and their two previous Premier League showdowns have seen Chelsea run out 6-0 winners on aggregate - including a 4-0 triumph on their last visit to the Amex.
Brighton have not scored past Chelsea since 1983, and that is the only goal they have managed in this fixture in their last eight meetings with the Blues across all competitions - all of which have ended in defeat.
The Seagulls do have one past victory over Chelsea to their name, but you have to go back to their very first meeting in 1933 for that, with Brighton running out 2-1 winners in the third round of the FA Cup.
BRIGHTON STARTING XI: Ryan; Montoya, Balogun, Dunk, Bernardo; Gross, Propper, Stephens; Knockaert, Murray, March
CHELSEA STARTING XI: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Luiz, Alonso; Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic; Pedro, Hazard, Willian
The Belgian sees an initial shot blocked, but he picks up the loose ball, drives into the box and then plays a delicious low pass across goal and into the six-yard box. Neither goalkeeper nor defender can get there, but Pedro can as he is left with an easy tap-in from close range.
© Reuters
9 - Eden Hazard has provided more assists in league competition than any other player in the Top 5 European Leagues in 2018-19. Wizardry. pic.twitter.com/kVaa703Xit— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 16, 2018
💛 - Chelsea lead at Brighton!
Pedro taps in from close range to give the visitors the lead.
Watch more @PremierLeague clips and highlights in the @SkySports app! Download it here:
iPhone: https://t.co/PaPRfbKlBu
Android: https://t.co/rtkyHBKCi5 pic.twitter.com/9DgG7e3iLY— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 16, 2018
Balogun gives the ball straight to Willian, who then has the simple task of releasing Hazard clean through on goal. The Belgian easily streaks clear of Dunk and then gives the keeper the eyes to whip his finish into the bottom near corner.
17 - Eden Hazard has been directly involved in more Premier League goals this season (17 in 16 apps) than he was in the whole of last season (16 in 34 apps). Evolved. pic.twitter.com/RsYVl9zuuR— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 16, 2018
🏃♂💨 - You can't give Eden Hazard chances like that!
The @ChelseaFC forward races through and puts his side 2⃣ up!
Watch more @PremierLeague clips and highlights in the @SkySports app! Download it here:
iPhone: https://t.co/PaPRfbKlBu
Android: https://t.co/rtkyHBKCi5 pic.twitter.com/fncBV7sfBa— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 16, 2018
Chelsea have dominated possession so far and deserve their advantage, although Brighton shot themselves in the foot for the second goal and can feel aggrieved that the first was not ruled out for offside.
The Belgian picked up a loose ball and drove into the box before playing a delightful low pass into the six-yard box for Pedro to tap in. However, replays showed that Alonso was in an offside position and appeared to interfere with play without touching the ball.
The Brighton defender gave the ball straight to Willian, who was left with a simple pass through to release Hazard. From there the goal never looked in doubt, with Hazard giving the keeper the eyes and whipping his finish into the bottom corner.
© Reuters
Brighton's only moment of any note in the attacking third saw March test Kepa with a long-range strike, but they need to show more in the final third in the coming 45 minutes.
Once more it is a cross to the back post which causes problems, with Bernardo the man this time to turn it back inside into the area. It bounces into the middle and March is on his toes to turn it home from close range!
Eden Hazard proved to be the difference in the end with an assist and a goal in the first half, but Brighton battled bravely in the second half and put pressure on after March had pulled a goal back.
