Cardiff v Chelsea preview
Head coach Brian Barry-Murphy says Cardiff Metropolis is not going to be “intimidated” by Chelsea when the League One leaders try to safe a 3rd successive shock win on this season’s EFL Cup.
Having crushed League Two golf equipment Swindon City and Cheltenham City within the first two rounds, the Bluebirds gained 2-1 at Premier League strugglers Burnley and knocked out Championship workforce Wrexham by the identical scoreline to arrange a quarter-final with the two-time European champions.
“The anticipation for the sport ever for the reason that draw was made has been evident all over the place we’ve been,” mentioned former Manchester Metropolis academy boss Barry-Murphy, who joined Cardiff in June.
“Fortunately, we’ve tried to detach ourselves from that as a lot as potential whereas specializing in the league marketing campaign. Now that it’s right here, the sport goes to be extremely thrilling for everybody.
“All of us have aspirations of testing ourselves in opposition to these on the highest degree of the sport. We’re a really massive membership with an enormous supporter base.
Phenomenal. 💫#CFC | #CHEEVE pic.twitter.com/wDoiH6FJQl
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 14, 2025
“We’ll need to attempt to give these followers one thing to really feel exhilarated. Each recreation we’ve performed within the competitors, we’ve tried to be on the entrance foot as a lot as potential and present ourselves in probably the most optimistic gentle.
“It’s what the supporters wish to see away and at residence. A workforce of [Chelsea’s] calibre is clearly going to have the ball for spells of the sport, and we now have to point out the completely different sides of our recreation to be in the fitting form to compete with them.”
Fourth within the Premier League, Chelsea ended a four-match winless run in all competitions by beating Everton 2-0 at residence on Saturday earlier than a lot of the scrutiny fell on Enzo Maresca’s feedback that “the final 48 hours [had] been the worst as a result of many individuals didn’t help us.”
Maresca once more refused to elaborate on Monday on the remarks, which had been interpreted by many as being aimed internally on the membership, and as an alternative known as for give attention to opponents ranked 40 locations beneath Chelsea within the league.
“They’re prime of the [table], taking part in good soccer and successful video games,” mentioned the Italian, praising Barry-Murphy.
“I do know Brian… I used to be the Below-23 coach [at Man City] and once I left, he took over from me. He got here to see us in periods and video games and he’s doing a improbable job at Cardiff.
“This can be a harmful recreation for us and we have to listen and watch out. We now have the chance to attain one thing essential, which is to succeed in the semi-finals.”
Cardiff Metropolis v Chelsea workforce information
Rubin Colwill gained the participant of the spherical competitors for Cardiff’s win at Wrexham however the 23-year-old Wales attacking midfielder is out following ankle surgical procedure, whereas defender Ronan Kpakio is suspended for 2 bookings on this season’s competitors.
Ollie Tanner has returned to full coaching after being out for 4 months with an ankle harm sustained when he hit an promoting hoarding at AFC Wimbledon, however the winger shouldn’t be anticipated to play till January.
Gabriel Osho might return to competition following a toe harm the centre-back sustained within the 5-1 residence defeat to Wimbledon within the EFL Trophy on December 2.
With the scoreline 2-2, Barry-Murphy made a triple change in Cardiff’s 4-3 residence league win over lowly Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, bringing on defenders Dylan Lawlor and Perry Ng and ahead Chris Willock for Will Fish, Ronan Kpakio and Isaak Davies.
Cardiff prevailed by means of a 99th-minute aim by left-back Joel Bagan, and their boss is definite to wish to see his facet tighten up significantly from that show.
The winner 👊#CityAsOne | @joelbagan pic.twitter.com/N0KWuwalt5
— Cardiff Metropolis FC (@CardiffCityFC) December 14, 2025
Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer scored his first aim since September within the win over Everton, however Maresca mentioned the England ahead can be rested as a part of a season interrupted by a groin harm.
“We now have a variety of gamers who have to be protected,” defined Maresca, including that Palmer “ought to be nice” for the league journey to Newcastle on Saturday.
“The goal is to guard them and handle them. Cole is without doubt one of the gamers who deserves to be protected proper now. On this second, he’s not accessible to play two video games in three days.”
Dario Essugo is unlikely to be risked because the midfielder recovers from a thigh situation. Defender Levi Colwill (knee), midfielder Romeo Lavia (thigh) and ahead Liam Delap (who would have been suspended and has a shoulder situation) are injured.
Moises Caicedo is out there after finishing a three-match league ban. Winger Mykhailo Mudryk is suspended indefinitely.
Cardiff v Chelsea predicted beginning lineups
Cardiff Metropolis beginning XI: Nathan Trott, Perry Ng, Will Fish, Calum Chambers, Joel Bagan, Cian Ashford, Ryan Wintle, Omari Kellyman, Alex Robertson, Isaak Davies, Yousef Salech
Chelsea beginning XI: Filip Jorgensen, Malo Gusto, Josh Acheampong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Jorrel Hato, Estevao, Moises Caicedo, Pedro Neto, Andrey Santos, Jamie Gittens, Tyrique George
Easy methods to watch Cardiff v Chelsea: TV channel, reside on-line stream
Kick-off on Tuesday is at 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT), with reside protection within the UK on Sky Sports activities Primary Occasion, Sky Sports activities Soccer and Sky Sports activities Extremely.
Through Now TV, Sky Sports activities prices £14.99 for a day membership, £28 a month for a 12-month membership or £34.99 a month with no contract.
Sky Sports activities memberships embrace entry to all 12 reside Sky Sports activities channels and Sky Sports activities+, which provides reside streams and a devoted channel.
Streaming is out there on an unlimited number of gadgets by way of the Sky GO app.
Cardiff Metropolis v Chelsea stats
Cardiff have gained their final 5 league matches, scoring not less than three targets in 4 of these video games
Their tally of 32 targets on this season’s third tier is one of the best by 4, whereas their aim distinction is six superior to every other facet
No participant has scored extra targets within the 2025/26 division than Yousef Salech, who has yet one more aim and help mixed than every other participant in League One and opened his account on this season’s EFL Cup with the primary aim of the sport in opposition to Wrexham
Metropolis have had probably the most photographs on the right track (32) of any workforce on this season’s EFL Cup and common probably the most correct makes an attempt per 90 minutes of any membership within the quarter-finals (8)
They’ve misplaced all 5 of their conferences with Chelsea – 4 within the Premier League, one within the FA Cup – since a 2-1 EFL Cup residence win in October 1986, once they suffered a last-16 defeat at Shrewsbury City of their subsequent tie
Solely Crystal Palace (16) have taken extra away factors on this season’s Premier League than Chelsea (14), whose two EFL Cup wins have come away to Wolves and League One membership Lincoln Metropolis
Earlier than their defeat at Newcastle in final season’s fourth spherical, Chelsea had attain the EFL Cup ultimate in two of the earlier three campaigns, shedding to Liverpool on each events
Apart from Queens Park Rangers (21.9), Chelsea have the youngest common participant age within the 2025/26 EFL Cup (22.3)
Blues winger Jamie Gittens and Cardiff’s Rubin Colwill are among the many 15 gamers to have assisted twice throughout the first 4 rounds, with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Tom Watson – whose facet misplaced to Arsenal in spherical 4 – the one participant to have arrange three targets
Solely Liverpool (10), Manchester Metropolis (8) and Manchester United (6) have gained the EFL Cup extra instances than Chelsea (5)
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