The Blues took a big step towards the Carabao Cup final in the middle of the week, and now their focus is on the FA Cup tonight as they begin their campaign against Chesterfield which is not a league.
However, over the years there have been famous cup surprises at Stamford Bridge. Bradford City and Barnsley have been victorious against the West London giants in the modern era, although a Chesterfield victory would surely surpass even those.
After an intense festive period and a new round of positive Covid cases, it seems reasonable to expect changes from Chelsea’s perspective, as Chesterfield comes into the game having played only twice in the last month.
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Live updates
Tuchel: Chelsea can’t be arrogant
The Chelsea manager pointed out in his press conference that his team will not take Chesterfield lightly.
“We can lose any game in soccer,” Tuchel said.
“This is why the game is so popular. You’ll never hear me say that we can’t lose before a game. It would be tremendously arrogant.
“This is not the attitude with which we want to face tomorrow’s game. Of course, we are favorites.
“[It is] quite the opposite to Germany, where we would change the advantage of playing at home to the lower team. We have the advantage of not traveling and playing in front of our spectators in our stadium.
“Yes, we are the big favorites. We want to win and we demand it. Still, we respect the game and the opponent. You can demand it of yourself, but if you think about it, you need a performance to deliver. “
Prediction
The magic of the FA Cup is one of the most tired old cliches in the game and, as interesting as it is to see a surprise emerge, Chelsea could not be a stronger favorite.
With Tuchel promising a strong team and Chelsea looking to gain some momentum after a rocky December, a comfortable home win is to be expected.
Chelsea team news
It seems reasonable to expect players like Harvey Vale, Xavier Mbuyamba and Lewis Hall to potentially show up at some point, but Thomas Tuchel insists he will play on a strong side.
Thiago Silva and N’Golo Kante are out after becoming the latest Blues players to test positive for Covid, but Andreas Christensen should be available, while Timo Werner will likely start to have little playing time.
“Then we will find a solid lineup and show all respect to the Chesterfield team and club,” Tuchel said. “It’s the FA Cup and if we want to go to the next round we have to win this match. Nothing more.”
Chelsea predicted XI: Bettinelli; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Sarr; Hudson-Odoi, Barkley, Loftus-Cheek, Saul; Werner, Lukaku, Ziyech.
How to watch Chelsea vs Chesterfield
television channel: Today’s game will air on BBC One (red button).
Live broadcast: Fans will be able to watch the game via BBC iPlayer (free with subscription) or the BBC Sport website.
Or follow all the action with our live blog right here!
Good afternoon!
Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage as Chelsea host Chesterfield in the FA Cup third round.
Thomas Tuchel’s team arrived after an impressive win over Tottenham in the Carabao Cup in the middle of the week, while Chesterfield, out of the league, will be dreaming of a big surprise tonight.
With our man James Robson at Stamford Bridge, we will have the latest updates, preparation and team news before kick-off, which arrives at 5:30 pm GMT. Stay tuned!
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