Chelsea’s new chapter under head coach Liam Rosenior begins on Saturday night as the Blues travel across London to face Charlton Athletic at The Valley in the third round of the FA Cup.
It will be the first meeting between the two sides since February 2007, when a Frank Lampard goal secured a narrow Premier League victory for Chelsea. Nearly two decades later, both clubs arrive at this tie under very different circumstances but with plenty at stake.
Chelsea’s season has taken an unexpected downturn. Only a few weeks ago, the Blues were spoken of as potential title contenders, with Enzo Maresca picking up the Premier League Manager of the Month award in November. Since then, form has collapsed, leading to Maresca’s departure after a run of just one win in nine league matches.
Under-21s coach Calum McFarlane briefly took charge, overseeing a respectable draw away at Manchester City, but Chelsea followed that with a disappointing midweek defeat to Fulham despite dominating large spells of the match. That result left them eighth in the Premier League, four points adrift of the top four and well off the pace set by leaders Arsenal.
Rosenior, appointed on a six-year deal, now takes charge for the first time. The 41-year-old arrives from Strasbourg, where he recorded a win rate just under 50 percent, and has already spoken of his pride at leading one of England’s most decorated clubs. The FA Cup presents an immediate opportunity to build momentum, with Chelsea targeting a ninth triumph in the competition and their first since 2018.
History strongly favours the visitors. Chelsea have progressed from 61 of their last 63 FA Cup ties against lower-league opposition and have won both previous FA Cup meetings with Charlton, each by a 3-0 margin.
Charlton, however, will be hoping home advantage can help spark a revival. Nathan Jones’s side currently sit 19th in the Championship after managing just two wins in their last 14 league games. Once playoff contenders earlier in the campaign, the Addicks are now only five points above the relegation zone.
Recent performances have been mixed. Narrow defeats to Norwich and Portsmouth were followed by draws against league leaders Coventry City and Blackburn. Charlton’s FA Cup record has also been disappointing in recent years, having exited at the third-round stage in each of the last five seasons.
While Charlton have beaten Chelsea only once in their last 11 meetings across all competitions, The Valley has hosted memorable encounters in the past, and the home crowd will be hoping for a rare cup upset.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Charlton will be without Kayne Ramsay and Onel Hernandez, both sidelined by hamstring injuries. Josh Edwards (ankle) and Matty Godden (knee) are also unavailable. Jones is expected to stick with his preferred back-three system, using wing-backs for width.Midfielder Sonny Carey, the club’s top scorer this season, is pushing for a starting role, while Miles Leaburn and Charlie Kelman are likely to lead the line.
Chelsea’s squad rotation is expected to be more extensive. Marc Cucurella is suspended, while Levi Colwill, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo, and Mykhaylo Mudryk remain unavailable. Rosenior may hand goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen a start, while Jorrel Hato is set to deputise at left-back.
In midfield, Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos are contenders to anchor the side, and Joao Pedro could lead the attack after an impressive FA Cup scoring record with previous clubs.
POSSIBLE STARTING LINE-UPS
Charlton Athletic:Kaminski; Gillesphey, Jones, Bell; Bree, Docherty, Coventry, Carey, Campbell; Leaburn, Kelman
Chelsea:
Jorgensen; Acheampong, Fofana, Badiashile, Hato; Caicedo, Santos; Gittens, Estevao, Garnacho; Pedro
EXPERT PREDICTION
Charlton Athletic 0-3 Chelsea
