Chelsea will look to bounce back from a disappointing run of form in the Premier League as they face League Two side Morecambe in the FA Cup third round at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, January 11, 2025.
After a series of underwhelming performances, Enzo Maresca’s side will be hoping for a morale-boosting victory over the Shrimps, who are aiming to pull off a giant-killing in West London.
While Chelsea’s top-flight title hopes have faded, with only two points from their last four Premier League games, the FA Cup offers them a welcome distraction and a chance to reset.
Morecambe, who have made it to the third round after beating Worthing and Bradford City, will be eager to make their first-ever fourth-round appearance, but face an uphill battle against a Chelsea team that has a strong FA Cup pedigree.
The Blues have won 35 of their last 36 matches against lower-league opposition in the competition, with the only loss coming in a 4-2 defeat to Bradford City in 2015.
Their record in third-round ties is equally impressive, with an 80% win rate, the highest of any team with at least 10 matches in this stage of the tournament.
Morecambe’s Struggles
Morecambe come into the game in poor form, sitting in the relegation zone in League Two. However, they have shown resilience on the road, earning 14 of their 20 points away from home this season.
The Shrimps will take confidence from their recent wins over Carlisle United and Tranmere Rovers, but they face a tall order against Chelsea, who beat them 4-0 in the third round of the FA Cup four years ago.
Chelsea vs Morecambe: FA Cup Third Round Preview (Team News)
Chelsea will welcome the return of Reece James and Romeo Lavia, both of whom are fit to play after recovering from hamstring injuries.
Maresca is expected to make several changes to his starting XI, with fringe players getting a chance to impress. However, Ben Chilwell and Cesare Casadei will not feature, as they are likely to leave the club this month.
Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is also absent due to injury, while long-term absentees Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile remain sidelined.
In the absence of several first-team players, academy graduate Samuel Rak-Sakyi could be given the opportunity to start in midfield alongside Lavia.
The Blues are also expected to rotate their forward line, with players like Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku, and Joao Felix all potentially featuring.
Morecambe, meanwhile, are set to field a similar lineup to the one that saw off Tranmere, with Liverpool loanee Rhys Williams expected to start in defense. Adam Lewis, who has been a key contributor this season with five assists, could also feature, as well as winger Ben Tollitt, who has scored eight goals so far this campaign and is Morecambe’s main attacking threat.
Predicted Lineups
Chelsea: Jorgensen; James, Acheampong, Disasi, Veiga; Lavia, Rak-Sakyi; Madueke, Nkunku, Felix; Guiu
Injured: Fofana, Badiashile, Dewsbury-Hall
Unavailable: Mudryk
Morecambe: Stockdale; Williams, Lewis, Tutonda, Haines; Slew, Brown, Langstaff; Tollitt, Pugh, Leitch-Smith
Read more about the predicted lineups here
Prediction
Chelsea head into the match as overwhelming favorites, and despite their recent struggles, they are unlikely to suffer a shock exit to Morecambe.
With a rotating squad and key players returning from injury, the Blues should have enough quality to see off their lower-league opponents. Morecambe will need a flawless performance to cause an upset, but expect Chelsea to advance to the next round with a comfortable victory.
Chelsea 5-0 Morecambe
