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Embattled Chelsea visit the Sincil Park on Tuesday to face Lincoln City in the third round of the EFL Cup, looking to pick themselves up from the weekend's defeat. The Blues fell to their first Premier League defeat of the season on Saturday as Manchester United beat them 2-1 at Old Trafford.
Disaster struck as early as the fifth minute for the visitors as Robert Sanchez was shown a red for a tackle on Bryan Mbeumo just outside the 18-yard box, reducing them to 10 men.
Bruno Fernandes then fired the Red Devils in front shortly after, whereas Casemiro doubled their advantage with a close-range header in the 37th minute.
However, the Brazilian was sent off in the added minutes of the opening stanza with United also a man down for the second half.
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Enzo Maresca's side huffed and puffed in the second half, and Trevoh Chalobah pulled one back in the 80th minute to reduce the deficit but Chelsea fell short of finding the elusive equalizer.
With just eight points in the bag from five league games, Chelsea are down in sixth position in the Premier League standings right now. They turn their attention towards the cup, where the London side face third tier Lincoln, who won the previous two rounds of the cup to get here.
The Imps beat Harrogate Town 3-1 on the road in the first round, before seeing off Burton 1-0 in the next. For the first time this season, Lincoln are at home in the cup and will be hoping to pull off an upset here.
Lincoln City vs Chelsea Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- There have been eight clashes between the sides in history, with Chelsea winning five times over Lincoln City and losing just once.
- Lincoln and Chelsea meet for the first time in over 100 years. Their last clash came in March 1911.
- Chelsea haven't lost out in the third round of the EFL Cup since their 2-0 loss to Manchester City in the 2022-23 season.
Lincoln City vs Chelsea Prediction
The Blues might come into the game on the back of a defeat, but remain the stronger team on paper and should see off the third-tier side without much fuss.
Prediction: Lincoln City 0-2 Chelsea
Lincoln City vs Chelsea Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Chelsea to win
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5 goals
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No
