Chelsea vs Morecambe: FA Cup Third Round Preview

Chelsea’s 2024/25 FA Cup journey begins with a third-round clash against League Two side Morecambe at Stamford Bridge. The Blues, winless in their last four matches, are determined to break their streak against a struggling Morecambe team sitting second-bottom in the fourth tier.

The two sides previously met during the 2020/21 FA Cup third round, a game Chelsea dominated with a 4-0 victory.

Match Details

Location: London, England
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Date: Saturday, 11 January
Kick-off Time: 15:00 GMT / 10:00 ET / 07:00 PT
Referee: Andrew Kitchen

Head-to-Head Record

• Chelsea: 1 win
• Morecambe: 0 wins
• Draws: 0
• Last meeting: Chelsea 4-0 Morecambe (10 January 2021)

Current Form (All Competitions)

Chelsea

• Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea (04/01/25)
• Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea (30/12/24)
• Chelsea 1-2 Fulham (26/12/24)
• Everton 0-0 Chelsea (22/12/24)
• Chelsea 5-1 Shamrock Rovers (19/12/24)

Morecambe

• Morecambe 2-0 Tranmere (01/01/25)
• Salford 1-0 Morecambe (29/12/24)
• Carlisle 0-1 Morecambe (26/12/24)
• Morecambe 0-2 Bromley (21/12/24)
• Cheltenham 2-0 Morecambe (14/12/24)

How to Watch Chelsea vs Morecambe

United Kingdom: talkSPORT 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 Team News

Chelsea will likely field a second-string lineup, though injuries will also influence Enzo Maresca’s selection.

• Unavailable Players: Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Carney Chukwuemeka, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Mykhailo Mudryk, Ben Chilwell, Cesare Casadei.
• Possible Return: Romeo Lavia could feature after missing recent Premier League matches.

Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):
Jorgensen; Acheampong, Disasi, Adarabioyo, Veiga; Rak-Sakyi, Lavia; Madueke, Nkunku, George; Guiu.

Morecambe Team News

Manager Derek Adams faces an uphill battle as his team prepares for one of their toughest tests this season. Ben Tollitt, with eight goals and three assists this term, is their best chance for a goal.

Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):
Burgoyne; Hendrie, Williams, Stott, Tutonda; White, Jones; Tollitt, Songo’o, Edwards; Dackers.

Score Prediction

Chelsea’s depth and attacking firepower should comfortably overwhelm Morecambe, who have conceded 39 goals in League Two so far this season. The Blues’ record against lower-tier sides suggests a high-scoring affair is likely.

Prediction: Chelsea 7-0 Morecambe