Chelsea vs Barrow: Everything you need to know | News | Official Site

This 7.45pm kick-off at Stamford Bridge will be the Cumbrians’ third ever game at this stage of the League Cup and their first since the 1960s.

The current League Two leaders failed on the two previous occasions: losing 3-0 to Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in October 1967 and 5-1 at Birmingham City in a replay in October 1962, following a 1-1 draw at Holker Street.

For the Blues, this is the first of four consecutive home games at the Bridge – until the international break in October – and offers us the opportunity to record our second home win of the season.

Chelsea have an exemplary record against lower-league teams in this competition, beating AFC Wimbledon, Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough en route to last season’s final, with the Blues eventually losing to Liverpool in extra time at Wembley.

We have finished second in three of the last six seasons, but have not won the League Cup since 2015 – our longest run since 1998.

As five-time winners, we have reached the fourth round in all but one of the last 13 seasons, with our only defeat coming against Manchester City in 2022.

Most League Cup wins

10 – Liverpool
8 – Manchester City
6 – Manchester United
5 – Aston Villa
5 – Chelsea

News from the Chelsea team

Head coach Enzo Maresca could make changes after Saturday’s impressive 3-0 win at West Ham United, but progress is important and the Italian is expected to field a strong, albeit changed, team.

The League Cup has often been used to rebuild form and confidence and, for various reasons, many players are thirsty for playing time.

Conference League starter Filip Jorgensen – who is awaiting his domestic debut as a goalkeeper – is in the running for a place in the starting XI and Maresca has hinted that players such as Josh Acheampong, Benoit Badiashile, Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, Tyrique George, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Mykhailo Mudryk will be in the squad.

Reece James remains unavailable but Malo Gusto is fit enough to start at right-back. It is hoped that Romeo Lavia will be fit for the weekend visit to Brighton but Tuesday night is too early for him.

The story

The two clubs have only met once in a competitive match, 76 years ago in the third round of the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge.

Barrow were unbeaten in Division Three North before the match on 10 January 1948, but had it not been for the top form of their experienced goalkeeper Alex Roxburgh, the scoreline might even have been double figures.

The then third division team had no answer to Chelsea’s small right winger Bobby Campbell, who served the first goal on a silver platter to midfielder Ken Armstrong, who was temporarily playing as a centre forward.

Campbell scored himself and was involved in another goal by Armstrong, as well as goals from Len Goulden and Jimmy Bowie. Four of the Blues’ five strikers scored on the day, with the fifth, former Wrexham winger Tommy Jones, missing the target after Roxburgh had his penalty saved.

One of the few players to play for both teams, striker Tony Hateley became Chelsea’s record transfer for £100,000 in October 1966. Ten years later he scored five goals for Barrow.

Did you know that…

Chelsea’s biggest win in the competition was a 7-0 triumph at Doncaster Rovers in the third round on 16 November 1960.

The Blues are London’s first and most recent winners of this competition (1965 and 2015).

The last lower-league club to knock the Londoners out of the League Cup was Championship side Burnley, who did so in the fourth round at Stamford Bridge in 2008 (after extra time and a penalty shootout).

Chelsea’s last fourth division opponent in this competition was Scarborough, who won 4-3 on aggregate on aggregate in 1989. The Blues were league leaders at the time.

As a midfielder at Tottenham Hotspur and Birmingham, current Barrow manager Stephen Clemence remained winless in 12 games against the Blues during his playing career, including eight defeats.

Barrow’s 5-0 FA Cup defeat to Chelsea in 1948 saw a crowd of 44,336 at Stamford Bridge – the highest ever attendance at a Bluebirds game.

Carabao Cup Rules

We begin our 65th League Cup season in the third round, which has been split into two weeks due to UEFA competitions.

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system will not be in operation for this match, which will be played to the end of the evening. If the score is tied after 90 minutes, the winner will be decided by a penalty shootout.

The draw for the fourth round of the Carabao Cup will take place live on Sky Sports after the match between Liverpool and West Ham on Wednesday evening, kick-off is at 19:45.