Chelsea vs Grimsby Town preview, predictions & possible XIs
Chelsea will look to end a run of two straight defeats when they host Grimsby Town in the League Cup on Wednesday.
Frank Lampard’s men have made an inconsistent start to the new season, losing 1-0 to Valencia in their Champions League opener and taking eight points from their first six Premier League games following their spirited 2-1 defeat to Liverpool.
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They face a Grimsby side who themselves have been unable to find consistency so far, sitting ninth in League Two after 10 games.
Read on for Chelsea v Grimsby Town predictions, preview, team news and TV coverage information.
When is Chelsea vs Grimsby Town and where can I watch live?
Competition: League Cup
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Date: Wednesday, 25 September 2019
Kick-off: 7:45 PM BST
TV coverage (UK): N/A
Last five meetings: Chelsea vs Grimsby Town
28 Feb 1996: Chelsea 4-1 Grimsby Town (FA Cup)
21 Feb 1996: Grimsby Town 0-0 Chelsea (FA Cup)
12 May 1984: Grimsby Town 0-1 Chelsea (Division Two)
17 Dec 1983: Chelsea 2-3 Grimsby Town (Division Two)
12 Feb 1983: Grimsby Town 2-1 Chelsea (Division Two)
Aggregate Score: Chelsea (WDWLL) 8-6 Grimsby Town (LDLWW)
Ones to watch
Chelsea: Billy Gilmour
Thanks to their transfer ban, Chelsea’s use of youngsters so far this season has been a breath of fresh air, with the likes of Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount making a serious impression on the Premier League.
The League Cup campaign should give another host of academy stars the chance to step up, with Billy Gilmour expected to be among them.
The 18-year-old Scottish midfielder started his footballing career at Rangers but moved to Chelsea in 2017, finally making his debut as a late substitute against Sheffield United earlier this season.
Gilmour is one of Scottish football’s biggest prospects right now and is tipped for a “big future” by Lampard.
Key stat: Gilmour has 18 goals in 66 games at youth level for Chelsea.
Grimsby Town: James Hanson
😍 “Having him in our squad will be a huge help to us, and it will be great to have him at Stamford Bridge with us!” –
Michael Jolley on James Hanson 🙌 #GTFC pic.twitter.com/H6ZFQE5c9q
— Grimsby Town F.C. (@officialgtfc) September 23, 2019
Chelsea haven’t kept a clean sheet so far this season and if Grimsby are going to pull off a shock, they will look to exploit this lack of confidence at the back.
James Hanson is by far Town’s biggest goal-threat and is sure to start in what is a massive opportunity for the League Two club to prove themselves.
Hanson has history with the Blues after playing a starring role in Bradford City’s shock FA Cup win at Stamford Bridge in 2015.
Key stat: Hanson is Grimsby’s top scorer in League Two with five goals.
Team news
Chelsea
Reece James is in line to make his long-awaited Chelsea debut after recovering from an ankle injury, while Callum Hudson-Odoi is also likely to return from his Achilles injury.
Marc Guehi could also make his debut in defence, while Gilmour is in line to make his first start for the club.
Antonio Rudiger is unlikely to feature as he recovers from injury while Lampard will probably decide against risking N’Golo Kante after his 90 minutes against Liverpool at the weekend. Emerson Palmieri is out until mid-October and Andreas Christensen is also out after picking up an injury on Sunday.
Predicted XI: Caballero; James, Zouma, Guehi, Alonso; Gilmour, Kovacic, Barkley; Hudson-Odoi, Batshuayi, Pulisic.
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Grimsby Town
Defender Harry Davis is recovering from a dislocated shoulder but is likely to be given until the last minute to prove his fitness.
Ludvig Öhman (groin) and Luke Waterfall (cup-tied) both miss out, although Ahkeem Rose is approaching full fitness after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Predicted XI: McKeown; Hewitt, Waterfall, Gibson, Hendrie; Cook, Hessenthaler, Robson; Wright, Green, Hanson.
Squawka prediction
Hanson will head to Stamford Bridge with great memories after his role in Bradford’s FA Cup shock there four years ago but even with Chelsea’s squad rotation taken into account, lightning is unlikely to strike twice.
Chelsea will still field an XI packed with international quality and at home, that will take its toll on Grimsby. We expect Lampard to seal his first victory at Stamford Bridge.
Scoreline prediction: Chelsea 4-0 Grimsby Town
