Chelsea Vs. Barrow: Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

As the English Football Cup returns to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, Chelsea will host League Two Barrow to build on their impressive start to the season.

The widest margin between any third-round meeting is 64 places in the English pyramid, which separates the two teams going into the tie.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Enzo Maresca has, so far, succeeded magnificently in diverting his players' attention from the off-field turmoil that has engulfed the club this summer to the concerns at hand, and the results have been impressive.

They ended the day in the top four, kept back-to-back clean sheets for the first time in a year, and extended their Premier League run to only two losses in twenty with a 3-0 victory against West Ham United at the London Stadium on Saturday.

Maresca became the first manager since Pep Guardiola (2015) to win his team's first three Premier League away games with the victory against the Hammers. Guardiola was the manager of Manchester City at the time.

Cole Palmer scored a fantastic third goal just before halftime, and Nicolas Jackson scored twice in the first eighteen minutes—the fastest by a Chelsea player since Didier Drogba in 2005.

Even though Chelsea will be competing on four fronts again this season, their Sunday match against Brighton & Hove Albion will take precedence due to the packed calendar ahead.

Maresca is expected to make extensive substitutions for the Blues' next Conference League match against Gent and their cup match against Barrow. The Blues' season begins next week.

Because of their August European commitments, they were given a bye into the second round of the domestic cup. Hence, this is their first cup match of the season.

Despite their many achievements this century, Chelsea has still needed to win the EFL Cup since 2015. They have lost three consecutive finals, the most recent being February's crown jewel, a humiliating loss at Wembley at the hands of a young Liverpool team.

For Barrow, the prize for making it to the third round after more than fifty years is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Stamford Bridge.

The in-form fourth-tier team hopes to make a strong impression in the EFL Cup since it has been five years since the club last participated after being promoted from the National League.

Last season, Barrow lost in the first round to Bolton Wanderers. This season, they bounced back by defeating Port Vale and Derby County, paving the way for their match against Chelsea.

After Saturday's 2-0 victory against Newport County, Stephen Clemence's squad enters the match at the top of League Two, having collected 16 points out of a possible 21.

Chelsea x Barrow Team News

With Chelsea's extensive roster and the calibre of their opponents, Maresca may elect to make eleven substitutions for this match.

Palmer and Jackson, who are currently in fine form, will most likely get a break, and Maresca will have plenty of choices to go up front to replace them.

Starting lineup possibilities include Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, and Mykhaylo Mudryk, with Christopher Nkunku expected to lead the pack.

Regarding injuries, Reece James is still out, but Romeo Lavia and Malo Gusto are very close to making the first team, so Maresca may use this match to offer them a chance to play if they pass the fitness tests.

Despite Barrow's recent strong play, manager Clemence made a few changes to the roster for the weekend match, and the gamble paid off as the team returned with all three points.

Neo Eccleston, who came off the bench for a few minutes in the 2-0 victory, should start in goal, while Wyll Stanway, who Paul Farman substituted for over the weekend, might return to the starting lineup.

After impressing against Newport, former Everton winger Katia Kouyate may retain his starting spot ahead of Chris Popov. Chris Stokes, who just debuted after joining Morecambe, is also expected to play a role.

Our Predictions

Over 3.5 goals @1.50 on Sky247.ng

Despite the anticipated massive roster shakeup, Chelsea should cruise into the quarterfinals in what promises to be one of the most mismatched contests of the season.

Even if Barrow is on fire right now, Chelsea has a strong roster that lets them use many full internationals as backup, and their talent should shine through in this very different situation.

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