Chelsea vs Leeds United - prediction, team news, lineups

A repetition of past season’s FA Cup semi-final sees Chelsea look Leeds United successful the 3rd circular of the EFL Cup astatine Stamford Bridge connected Wednesday night.

The Blues bushed Luton Town 2-0 to advancement from the 2nd circular a fortnight ago, portion their West Yorkshire counterparts won by the aforesaid scoreline distant against Nottingham Forest.

Match preview

After winning their opening 2 Premier League games of the caller play against Fulham and Brighton, Chelsea suffered their archetypal decision nether caller manager Xabi Alonso connected Sunday, arsenic they were beaten 2-1 by London rivals and reigning champions Arsenal astatine the Emirates Stadium.

It took conscionable 77 seconds for grounds signing Morgan Rogers to occurrence the Blues into an aboriginal lead, but goals from Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard either broadside of fractional clip secured the triumph for Arsenal, leaving Alonso “hurt” but inactive hopeful for what the aboriginal holds.

Before facing high-flying Hull City connected Saturday, Chelsea indispensable displacement their absorption to the EFL Cup, a contention they person won 5 times but not since 2015; they astir precocious reached the semi-finals past play wherever they mislaid 4-2 to Arsenal implicit 2 legs.

Chelsea caput into Wednesday’s third-round necktie having suffered decision conscionable erstwhile astatine this signifier of the contention successful the past 15 years, losing 2-0 to chap Premier League broadside Manchester City successful 2022-23.

The Blues besides boast a beardown head-to-head grounds against Leeds successful cupful competitions, winning each of their erstwhile 10 ties crossed the EFL Cup (three) and FA Cup (seven). They registered an emphatic 5-1 distant triumph implicit the Whites successful their astir caller EFL Cup clash successful the 5th circular successful December 2012.

Including results from past season, Leeds person mislaid lone 2 of their past 16 competitory fixtures since the opening of March (W8 D6), and they person made an unbeaten commencement to the 2026-27 campaign, winning 2 and drafting 2 of their opening 4 matches.

Back-to-back distant wins without reply against Nottingham Forest were followed by successive Premier League draws with Brentford and Brighton. Jayden Bogle’s aboriginal onslaught against the second was cancelled retired successful the 2nd fractional to unit some sides to stock the spoils astatine the Amex Stadium past weekend.

While stabilising their top-flight presumption and gathering connected past season’s 14th-placed decorativeness remains the eventual precedence for caput manager Daniel Farke, performing good successful the home cupful competitions and steering Leeds to their archetypal large trophy since their 1971-72 FA Cup triumph is besides precocious connected the agenda.

Leeds person lone won the EFL Cup erstwhile successful their past (1967-68) and their caller grounds successful the contention leaves a batch to beryllium desired, failing to advancement beyond the 3rd circular successful 13 of the past 17 years. Last season, they suffered a second-round exit to Sheffield Wednesday connected penalties.

The Whites tin astatine slightest instrumentality immoderate comfortableness from their caller outings versus Chelsea. A 3-1 location triumph successful December past twelvemonth and a 2-2 gully astatine Stamford Bridge successful February helped them cod 4 Premier League points from the Blues past season, earlier their constrictive 1-0 FA Cup semi-final decision astatine Wembley successful April.

Chelsea EFL Cup form:

Chelsea signifier (all competitions):

Leeds United EFL Cup form:

Leeds United signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Chelsea’s Jordan Henderson (wrist) remains unavailable for selection, portion Moises Caicedo and Marco Palestra are some doubtful with unspecified issues and whitethorn not beryllium risked for this midweek fixture.

Alonso volition beryllium tempted to freshen up his squad successful a fewer positions, with goalkeeper Mike Penders, Levi Colwill, Pep Chavarria and Malo Gusto each contenders to gain recalls astatine the back; the second is besides an enactment to play successful midfield.

The fearsome beforehand 3 of Joao Pedro, Cole Palmer and Rogers is seemingly improbable to stay intact, truthful Danny Welbeck, Estevao Willian, Jamie Gittens and Geovany Quenda are among those who could beryllium presented with a commencement successful attack. Welbeck netted his archetypal Chelsea extremity successful the erstwhile circular against Luton.

As for Leeds, Joe Rodon (hamstring) and Mateo Joseph (knee) are semipermanent wounded absentees, portion Ilia Gruev (knee) and Daniel James (back) volition some beryllium assessed up of kickoff, the second reported his problems during the warmup earlier past play gully with Brighton.

Gabriel Gudmundsson played the afloat 90 minutes past clip retired aft recovering from a hamstring injury, but a commencement for either James Justin oregon caller signing Melvin Bard astatine near wing-back could beryllium connected the cards against Chelsea.

Goalkeeper Michael Zetterer and attacker Jean-Matteo Bahoya are 2 much caller recruits disposable to marque their Leeds debuts, portion Jaka Bijol, Harry Wilson, Brendan Aaronson and Lukas Nmecha volition each beryllium hoping to unit their mode backmost into the archetypal XI.

Chelsea imaginable starting lineup:

Penders; Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill; Gusto, Lavia, Barco, Chavarria; Estevao, Palmer; Welbeck

Leeds United imaginable starting lineup:

Trafford: Elvedi, Bijol, Tarik Muharemovic; Bogle, Ampadu, Longstaff, Justin; Aaronson, Wilson, Nmecha

We say: Chelsea 1-1 Leeds United (Chelsea to triumph connected penalties)

A closely-contested conflict betwixt 2 beardown Premier League teams could beryllium successful store successful West London, but Leeds indispensable stay wide awake from the archetypal whistle fixed that Chelsea person recovered the nett wrong the opening 5 minutes of each 3 league matches this season.

While the Whites person failed to support a cleanable expanse successful immoderate of their past 9 visits to Stamford Bridge, Farke’s resilient broadside person the antiaircraft grit to propulsion their hosts each the mode to a melodramatic punishment shootout. However, we are backing the Blues to yet support their composure and compression done to the 4th round.

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