Chelsea

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea have fielded a very different team in most cup matches this season - with their well-documented large squad of expensive talented footballers.

Many times they have changed all 11 players.

But here Maresca altered his approach, making six changes but keeping several first-team players in.

Among the main men to feature was top scorer Cole Palmer, who was starting his first game of the season in any cup competition.

Chelsea only managed seven shots, one on target. And two of them came before the fifth-minute goal.

Now their focus is down to the Premier League - where they sit fourth - and the Uefa Conference League.

Their priority will be getting back into the Champions League, but Europe's tertiary tournament gives them their only chance of winning a first trophy of any note since the Fifa Club World Cup in February 2022.

Image source, PA Media

Enzo Maresca spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Chelsea's defeat against Brighton: "We controlled much better the first half. The second half the only shots they had we conceded a goal from.

"I think the handball is quite clear. In the last two or three days there were many different moments in different games. Without VAR it's complicated.

"We tried to come here and make our game. We had a few chances at 2-1. Now we can focus on the Premier League and Conference League.

"We always try to win the games. But in the same way you have to take the consequence of the result."

Will this affect Friday's game? "I don't think so. Different competition, different game."

Tell us your thoughts on the match here

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Brighton have reached the fifth round of the FA Cup in three consecutive seasons for the first time, while Chelsea have failed to progress beyond the fourth round in two of the last three seasons, as many times as in the previous 24 campaigns combined (fourth round eliminations in 2010-11 & 2014-15).

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Brighton's performance

What did you make of Chelsea's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has detailed his plan for new midfielder Mathis Amouogu.

The 19-year-old joined on deadline day for £12m from Saint-Etienne and has been picked in Chelsea's Conference League squad ahead of injured duo Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana.

However, Maresca said Chelsea will ease in their inexperienced new signing.

"We didn't sign him thinking he's going to play an important part with us," he said.

"The reason why is because of the age and we need the process. The reason we signed him is because we think he's a good player and in some moment, after a while, we think he can help us.

"Mathis is the same age as Josh, Tyrique, Marc Guiu - born in 2006. He's just 18 or 19. At that age, if they're here it's because we think they're good but they could be better.

"With Mathis, it's more or less the same. We saw he could be a good player but he needs to arrive here, adapt and progress."

Amougou could make his debut at Brighton in the FA Cup later.

Nine Premier League teams are competing in Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round action, and we will bring you every moment.

• Leyton Orient v Man City (12:15) - watch on BBC One and listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Coventry v Ipswich

• Everton v Bournemouth

• Southampton v Burnley

• Wigan v Fulham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Birmingham v Newcastle (17:45) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Brighton v Chelsea (20:00) - watch on BBC One and listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all the action and reaction here

Brighton need to bounce back from losing 7-0 to Nottingham Forest, while Chelsea have been very up and down in recent weeks.

Seagulls boss Fabian Hurzeler is quite an interesting character to watch on the touchline because of how emotional he is during the game.

He has had five yellow cards and a red already this season. He has got to be careful because that kind of indiscipline can rub off on your players.

This game will be tight - I certainly don't see Brighton capitulating the way they did at Forest, but the key thing for them is Yasin Ayari and Carlos Baleba being fit to return in midfield.

Even if they both return, I still feel like Chelsea will find a way of winning the tie. It may go all the way to penalties, but I am going to say Enzo Maresca's side will win it in extra time.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2 after extra time

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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The fifth-round draw will take place during Monday's episode of The One Show on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Former England winger Theo Walcott, who won the trophy twice while with Arsenal, will conduct the draw at about 19:10 GMT.

There are 16 Premier League teams left in the draw, with Leicester having been beaten by Manchester United on Friday, and Arsenal, Brentford and West Ham exiting in the third round.

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Earlier, we asked you to name the former Chelsea manager from a series of clues.

The answer was Claudio Ranieri, who was in charge between 2000 and 2004.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Cole Palmer has been added to Chelsea's squad for the knockout stage of the Conference League.

The forward had been left out of the league phase to help with "load management" after reaching the final of Euro 2024 with England.

Recalled Crystal Palace loanee Trevoh Chalobah and £12m deadline-day signing from Saint-Etienne Mathis Amougou are the other two players added to the squad - as Uefa limits clubs to just three changes after the winter transfer window.

It leaves Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia, who are both currently injured, out of the squad, with manager Enzo Maresca believing both players are only capable of playing one match a week for the foreseeable future given their fitness problems.

Five of the six players that left Chelsea in January were in the Conference League squad, so they can only register a maximum of 23 players, with five taken out and three being added.

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before Saturday's FA Cup game at Brighton (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On Nicolas Jackson's injury: "Nico is better [than he was]. Could be [available], could also be a risk. We will see but it doesn't look like a long injury."

• On Marc Guiu's injury: "Marc is, unfortunately, a bad injury. We are still waiting. It doesn't look like a short injury, it looks like a long injury. Exactly how long, I don't know. Probably weeks or months, yes."

• On whether Romeo Lavia is ready to return: "No, Romeo is still in the process to come back. He's still got a long way to go."

• On whether he has enough cover in attack: "Yes, absolutely. Before the last game, we had two strikers - Nico and Marc. Sometimes, we adapt also with Christopher [Nkunku], but in case they are both out, we are going to find different solutions."

• On the January transfer window: "I said after the West Ham game we did everything we planned."

• On whether he wanted to sign a new striker: "The players who left deserved to leave and the players who have stayed, we did all the things that we need."

• On the future role of Nkunku: "Against West Ham, he played more or less half an hour. Hopefully, from now on, he can get more minutes and help us. I was with the club. We were sure before the window closed that Christo was one of the players that we intended to keep."

• On why Joao Felix was allowed to join AC Milan: "Nothing happened. Simply, I said many times, that the players train every day and they want to play all the games. Unfortunately, just 11 play all the games and we decide, all together, that it was a good option to leave. He never complained. He has been very good with us - professional. Just a matter of my decision. The reason why is because we need defensive balance. When you have so many attacking players, sometimes you can concede a transition or a goal and I don't like that."

• On who is in the Conference League squad: "It also depends on the injuries we have from the last game. We're going to decide in the next hours."

Follow all of Friday's FA Cup news conferences and the rest of the day's football news here

Name this former Chelsea manager from the following clues:

• I was manager when Roman Abramovich became Chelsea owner in 2003;

• I was succeeded as Chelsea boss by Jose Mourinho;

• I won the title as manager of another Premier League club.

Answer will be revealed at 17:00 GMT

Chelsea think Crystal Palace and England centre-back Marc Guehi, 24, will join them instead of Tottenham in the summer. (TBR Football), external

Chelsea, Manchester United and Newcastle are interested in 27-year-old Crystal Palace and France striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is yet to sign a new contract. (TBR Football), external

The Blues are open to selling midfielder Andrey Santos, who is on loan at Strasbourg, at the end of the season. (Teamtalk), external

Chelsea are expected to lower their asking price for midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, after transfer talks failed in January. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Now that the transfer window is closed and we know who has what, I have tipped Liverpool win to the league, with Arsenal and Manchester City in second and third respectively, and Chelsea in fourth.

Maybe, I am being a little bit too biased and my Blues hat is on, but I would like to think they could do it.

There have been real promising glimpses this season, so that is probably their target now. But because of the way Nottingham Forest have performed, along with Bournemouth and Newcastle, it will be difficult and tight.

There has been no suggestion that Forest will fall off and Eddie Howe's Magpies have slyly creeped up. So fourth position to me is still open and the hardest to pick.

If Chelsea do it then it will be an unbelievable finish given Enzo Maresca only came in during the summer and where they were as a club at the beginning of the season.

Maresca has brushed off talk of them being title challengers all campaign and said that they are not ready to seriously mount a challenge. Looking back, I don't think those comments helped because the players were confident and flying, so I don't know if it made them take their foot off the gas a little.

That was an odd one for me because you don't hear Nuno Espirito Santo saying the same at Forest. It did take pressure off performances but I think the standard of performances also went a bit because of that.

Either way, if they are to finish top four, they will need to improve their home form.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is planning to use 20-year-old Brazil midfielder Andrey Santos, who is currently on loan at Strasbourg, in his first team next season. (Fabrizio Romano), external

The Blues failed in a late attempt to hijack Tottenham's loan signing of 19-year-old Bayern Munich attacker Mathys Tel on deadline day. (L'Equipe - in French), external

Want more transfer news? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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Chelsea have progressed from their previous two FA Cup ties against Brighton, doing so in the 1966-67 fourth round (4-0 via a replay) and the 1972-73 third round (2-0).

Brighton have lost their past four meetings with Chelsea, and the Seagulls have also won just one of their past 11 home matches against the Blues (D3 L7).