Chelsea host Scunthorpe United in the FA Cup third round at Stamford Bridge. The Blues won their last game 3-0 against Crystal Palace in the Premier League and are unbeaten under their new manager Guus Hiddink. The visitors managed a 1-1 draw in their last game against Wigan in Football League One.
Chelsea have picked some momentum since the arrival of Guus Hiddink, and will want to take the FA Cup seriously considering they’re already out of the Premier League title race. Scunthorpe are currently 15th in the Football League One, and must be at their best to have any chance against the Premier League giants.
Kickoff and Live Telecast
Channel: Sony Six and Sony Six HD
Date and Time: Sunday, 10th January, 19:30 PM IST
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Team News
Chelsea
Guus Hiddink has a few injury concerns before the game on Sunday. Eden Hazard has been ruled out due to an injury while Radamel Falcao and Loic Remy are also long-term injury concerns. Diego Costa is the only fit striker available, but Hiddink might play Patrick Bamford up front after he was recalled from his loan spell at Crystal Palace. Baba Rahman, Loftus-Cheek and Kenedy are also expected to start.
Scunthorpe
Mark Robbins will be delighted to welcome back top scorer Paddy Madden, who has been declared fit to play. Tom Hopper and Gary McSheffrey have also recovered from their respective injuries, but new signing Conor Townsend is cup-tied.
Probable Lineups
Chelsea(4-2-3-1): Begovic; Baba, Cahill, Zouma, Azpilicueta; Matic, Loftus-Cheek; Kenedy, Oscar, Pedro; Costa
Scunthorpe(4-2-3-1): Daniels; Laird, Canavan, Mirfin, Clarke; Bishop, Dawson; Madden, Ness, Williams; Van Veen
Form
Chelsea
The home side have lost just one of their last five games in the Premier League. They lost 2-1 away to Leicester City while only managing a draw against Watford and Manchester United. Guus Hiddink’s side won 3-1 against Sunderland and 3-0 against Crystal Palace. The Blues have scored 9 goals and conceded 5 goals in their last five games.
Last 5 Matches: L-W-D-D-W ( Last match: Crystal Palace 0-3 Chelsea)
Scunthorpe
The visitors too have lost just one of their last five games in all competitions. Their only defeat came against Sheffield United while they managed draws against Rochdale and Wigan in their last two games. Scunthorpe won 3-0 against Leyton Orient and 1-0 against Doncaster.
Last 5 Matches: W-L-W-D-D ( Last match: Scunthorpe 1-1 Wigan)
Key Stats
- Chelsea have progressed to the fourth round in each of the last 17 seasons.
- Scunthorpe have conceded at least three goals in each of their last four FA Cup games against a Premier League side.
- The last time the two sides met each other in the FA Cup Chelsea won 3-1 against Scunthorpe.
- Scunthorpe last won against a top-flight team in the FA Cup in 1970 against Sheffield Wednesday.
- The Blues have scored 9 goals in their last 5 games in all competitions.
Key Battles
Diego Costa vs Niall Canavan
Diego Costa seems to have found his goal scoring form again, after scoring in back to back games against Watford and Crystal Palace. Costa has 6 league goals to his name this season and has scored three in the last two games.
Niall Canavan should be at his best if he wishes to keep Costa quiet throughout the game, and can’t afford to allow him too much room inside the penalty box. Costa can be a nightmare for defenders, and Canavan must make sure he is alert throughout the 90 minutes.
Oscar vs Neil Bishop
Brazilian star Oscar also seems to have found his form back, after scoring a brilliant goal and assisting another in the last game. He put in a man of the match performance against Crystal Palace and looked very lively throughout the game. Neil Bishop is likely to struggle against Oscar’s pace on the ball, and must do enough to stop him from linking with Diego Costa.
Betting odds (bet 365)
Chelsea – 4/11
Draw – 15/4
Scunthorpe – 15/2
Prediction
FA Cup looks like Chelsea’s best chance of winning any silverware this season and are expected to do well against a struggling Scunthorpe side.
Chelsea 3-0 Scunthorpe
