Chelsea head into Saturday’s 10th of january FA Cup third-round clash with Charlton Athletic in unfamiliar territory, following a sharp dip in form that has seen managerial change at Stamford Bridge.
Not long ago, the Blues were being tipped as Premier League title contenders, but a run of just one win in nine league games led to Enzo Maresca’s exit.
Softfootball noted that Under-21s coach Calum McFarlane managed to arrest the slide temporarily with a hard-earned 1–1 draw away at Manchester City, reflecting the same fighting spirit Chelsea showed when they rescued a late point at the Etihad through Fernández, before worries resurfaced following a damaging 2–1 defeat to Fulham.
New head coach Liam Rosenior now takes charge on a long-term deal and will be keen to make a strong first impression in a competition Chelsea have historically dominated against lower-league opposition.
The Blues have progressed from 61 of their last 63 FA Cup ties against teams outside the top flight, including both previous meetings with Charlton.
Chelsea also stirred memories on their official X handle by recalling that their last meeting with Charlton came in February 2007, a game settled by Frank Lampard’s winning goal, adding extra nostalgia and context to the upcoming clash.
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Charlton, meanwhile, arrive low on confidence, sitting 19th in the Championship and winless in four matches. Despite recent draws, Nathan Jones’s side have struggled for consistency and have lost eight of their last 11 meetings with Chelsea, including heavy FA Cup exits.
Team news
Team news sees Charlton without Kayne Ramsay, Onel Hernandez, Josh Edwards and Matty Godden, while Chelsea miss Marc Cucurella (suspended), Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo and Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Possible lineups
Charlton: Kaminski; Gillesphey, Jones, Bell; Bree, Docherty, Coventry, Carey, Campbell; Leaburn, Kelman.
Chelsea: Jorgensen; Acheampong, Fofana, Badiashile, Hato; Caicedo, Santos; Gittens, Estevao, Garnacho; Pedro.
Softfootball prediction
Charlton Athletic 0–2 Chelsea. Despite their wobble, Chelsea’s squad depth and FA Cup pedigree should be enough to see Rosenior start his reign with a controlled away victory.
