Rosenior under pressure as Brighton close on Chelsea

Brighton host Chelsea at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday evening in a crucial Premier League encounter with significant implications for both clubs' European aspirations. The match carries extra weight as Brighton can climb above Chelsea in the standings with a win, while Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior faces mounting pressure after his side suffered four consecutive league defeats, most recently a 1-0 loss to Manchester United despite the Red Devils missing their first-choice and most of their second-choice defence. Rosenior acknowledged his position will be under threat if he cannot reverse the club's fortunes, stating he needs results now despite receiving public backing from co-owner Behdad Eghbali. The two sides are separated by just one point, but momentum firmly favors Brighton, who have won five of their last seven Premier League matches. Fabian Hurzeler's side are seeking to complete a league double over Chelsea after their impressive 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge earlier this season. Cole Palmer has been ruled out due to hamstring tightness, and summer signing Estevao is also absent with a hamstring problem sustained at the weekend. For Brighton, Kaoru Mitoma is doubtful after appearing to sustain a knock during their dramatic late equaliser against Tottenham, while Diego Gomez is likely to miss out following an apparent knee injury in that match. Chelsea have won only one of their last seven games in all competitions, with that solitary victory coming against League One side Port Vale in the FA Cup, rendering it largely meaningless in terms of league form. With five games remaining, the Blues sit seven points off fifth-placed Liverpool, and Rosenior admits their Champions League qualification hopes are all but over. The confirmed lineups see Brighton field Verbruggen; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu; Minteh, Baleba, Gross, Mitoma; Hinshelwood; Rutter, while Chelsea start with Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Fofana, Hato, Cucurella; Caicedo, Lavia; Fernandez, Pedro Neto; Delap. The match is available live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League in the United Kingdom, with coverage beginning at 7:30pm BST.