Chelsea begin their 2024/25 FA Cup campaign with a visit to second division side Morecambe in the third round.
Enzo Maresca’s side are winless in their last four games after a number of post-Christmas deficits, but their winning streak is likely to end against a Morecambe team currently second-to-last in the fourth tier.
The two teams have only met once before, in the third round of the FA Cup in the 2020/21 season at Stamford Bridge. All four goalscorers that day have now left west London, with Kepa Arrizabalaga, currently on loan at Bournemouth, the only player still under contract with Chelsea.
Here is 90 minutes Guide to Chelsea’s FA Cup match.
Chelsea vs Morecambe H2H record (total time)
Current form (all competitions)
Chelsea | Morecambe |
|---|---|
Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea – 01/04/25 | Morecambe 2-0 Tranmere – 01/01/25 |
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea – 12/30/24 | Salford 1-0 Morecambe – 12/29/24 |
Chelsea 1-2 Fulham – 12/26/24 | Carlisle 0-1 Morecambe – 12/26/24 |
Everton 0-0 Chelsea – 12/22/24 | Morecambe 0-2 Bromley – 21/12/24 |
Chelsea 5-1 Shamrock Rovers – 12/19/24 | Cheltenham 2-0 Morecambe – 12/14/24 |
country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | The Pitch Prospect Radio 2 (audio broadcast only) |
United States | ESPN+, ESPN app |
Canada | Sportsnet Now, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet West, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet Now Plus |
Chelsea are expected to field their second team on Saturday, but injuries will also impact Maresca’s team selection.
Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are both missing at centre-back, with Chelsea already looking for defensive cover in January. Romeo Lavia could return to midfield after missing the club’s five Premier League games.
Carney Chukwuemeka and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are likely to miss the weekend through illness and injury respectively, while Mykhailo Mudryk is still unavailable after failing a recent drug test. Ben Chilwell and Cesare Casadei will also be out as they seek a move.
Predicted Chelsea line-up against Morecambe (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; Acheampong, Disasi, Adarabioyo, Veiga; Rak Sakyi, Lavia; Madueke, Nkunku, George; Guiu.
Morecambe coach Derek Adams is dreaming of a miracle on Saturday but the reality is his struggling side are likely to be nothing more than punching bags for 90 minutes.
Even a goal would be celebrated wildly by the traveling fans, about whom there was hardly anything to report this season. Ben Tollitt is their best route onto the scoresheet, with the 30-year-old having scored eight goals and assisted three in all competitions.
Predicted Morecambe line-up against Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Burgoyne; Hendrie, Williams, Stott, Tutonda; White, Jones; Tollitt, Songo’o, Edwards; Dacker.
Chelsea have shown their ability to put less resistance to the sword this season. They scored 26 goals in six Europa Conference League games, including an 8-0 win over Armenian team Noah, and beat League Two Barrow 5-0 in the Carabao Cup in September.
Saturday could see them upping their points and flexing their attacking muscle against the second-worst team in English football’s top four divisions this season. Only three teams have conceded more than Morecambe’s 39 goals in League Two and Adam’s side could be in for a long old afternoon against Chelsea’s star-studded and strong squad.