Chelsea vs Grimsby Preview: Where to Watch, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News
Chelsea will be looking to get back to winning ways when they host League Two Grimsby in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.
The Blues are coming off the back of a 2-1 home defeat to Liverpool and are likely to turn towards the youngsters to see them through to the next round.
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Grimsby meanwhile will be eyeing a giant killing as they come into this game following a 1-0 victory over Macclesfield Town.
With Frank Lampard expected to make a number of changes, will the youngsters be able to get the job done?
Where to Watch
When Is Kick Off? | Wednesday 25 September |
What Time Is Kick Off? | 19:45 (BST) |
Where Is it Played? | Stamford Bridge |
TV Channel/Live Stream? | N/A |
Referee? | Keith Stroud |
Team News
Chelsea are set to welcome back previously injured duo Callum Hudson-Odoi and Reece James, with Lampard confirming both will play a part against Grimsby.
With Michy Batshuayi currently struggling for game time, he is likely to be given a start and will hope to impress ahead of the Premier League clash with Brighton on Saturday.
Billy Gilmour and Marc Guehi are also pushing for starts.
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The likes of Pedro and Olivier Giroud may also be given time to stake their claim for a recall to league action.
As for injuries, Emerson and Ruben Loftus-Cheek will definitely miss out, while Andreas Christensen is a doubt after hobbling off in the first half of the defeat against Liverpool.
With a thinner squad available to them, Grimsby may look to keep changes to a minimum after a solid start to the season. The only likely change is Max Wright, who may be given a start ahead of the normally preferred Ahkeem Rose.
Predicted Lineups
Chelsea | Caballero; James, Zouma, Guehi, Maatsen; Jorginho, Gilmour, Barkley; Pulisic, Batshuayi, Hudson-Odoi. |
Grimsby Town | McKeown; Hewitt, Waterfall, Gibson, Hendrie; Cook, Hessenthaler, Robson; Green, Hanson, Wright. |
Head to Head Record
This will be the first time the two teams have met since February 1996, when they crossed paths in the FA Cup, and their first ever meeting in the League Cup. Chelsea won the replay 4-1 at Stamford Bridge in the fifth round after a bore draw.
You have to go back a further decade to find the last time the two sides met in the league. A 1-0 Chelsea win at Blundell Park in 1984 secured the Second Division Championship for the Blues.
Recent Form
Chelsea enter this game on indifferent form, having already suffered two defeats in their first six league games, conceding 13 goals in the process. Their most recent game was a 2-1 home defeat to Champions League holders Liverpool. They currently sit 11th in the Premier League.
Grimsby have made a solid start to their season, collecting 15 points from their first ten games. Having suffered two defeats in three games, they returned to winning ways on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Macclesfield and will want to build on that win on Wednesday against a young Chelsea side.
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Here’s how each side has fared in their previous five matches in all competitions.
Chelsea | Grimsby Town |
Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool (22/9) | Grimsby Town 1-0 Macclesfield Town (21/9) |
Chelsea 0-1 Valencia (17/9) | Salford City 1-0 Grimsby Town (17/9) |
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-5 Chelsea (14/9) | Oldham Athletic 2-2 Grimsby Town (14/9) |
Chelsea 2-2 Sheffield Utd (31/8) | Grimsby Town 0-0 Macclesfield Town (5-4 on Pens) (10/9) |
Norwich City 2-3 Chelsea (24/8) | Grimsby Town 0-2 Crewe Alexandra (7/9) |
Prediction
Although Grimsby will be fired up for this game, the sheer difference in quality and squad size will take its toll on the League Two side.
Despite it likely being a fairly young Chelsea squad, the experience of a few of the older heads should be enough to see them through to the quarter final.
