Chelsea today begin their Carabao Cup campaign at home to League Two side Barrow this evening. Enzo Maresca’s squad have been in decent form since their defeat at Manchester City on the opening weekend of the season and are strong favourites to reach the fourth-round. Such is their strength in depth, any team the Blues boss fields will be expected to win at Stamford Bridge.
Cup success would be a welcome achievement for the Blues this season, with the club still chasing their first piece of silverware since the change of ownership in 2022. Having reached the final last year, Chelsea’s co-owners will no doubt be keen to go one further this time around.
They will be heavy favourites to beat Barrow, though the Bluebirds are in good form themselves. Sitting top of League Two, they have tasted defeat only once thus far and arrive with confidence as a result. Follow all the action LIVE with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog!
Chelsea vs Barrow latest news
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GOAL! Neto adds a fourth
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GOAL! Felix scores fine free-kick
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GOAL! Nkunku bags his brace
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GOAL! Christopher Nkunku gives Chelsea the lead
Chelsea 4-0 Barrow
21:06 , Jonathan Gorrie
59 mins: Corner after corner for Chelsea but Barrow manage to clear lines.
Chelsea 4-0 Barrow
20:56 , Jonathan Gorrie
51 mins: Hardly much of a surprise but the quality Chelsea have in reserve is frightening.
GOAL! Chelsea 4-0 Barrow | Pedro Neto ’47
20:52 , Jonathan Gorrie
47 mins: GOAL!
Nkunku finds Mudryk, who rolls it to Pedro Neto for a tap in!
Chelsea 3-0 Barrow
20:49 , Jonathan Gorrie
Back underway!
Chelsea 3-0 Barrow
20:45 , Jonathan Gorrie
Ben Chilwell comes on for his first appearance of the season!
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
20:41 , Jonathan Gorrie
After that bright Barrow start, it’s been a stroll ever since Nkunku’s opener. The League Two side have kept their discipline, trying to narrow spaces but will surely tire. There are plenty more goals here for Chelsea.
HT: Chelsea 3-0 Barrow
20:34 , Jonathan Gorrie
Blues in cruise control at the break.
Chelsea 3-0 Barrow
20:30 , Jonathan Gorrie
44 mins: Felix in the book for kicking the ball away…
Chelsea 3-0 Barrow
20:28 , Jonathan Gorrie
40 mins: Something of a lull now, feels as if Chelsea can change gear anytime they want.
Chelsea 3-0 Barrow
20:19 , Jonathan Gorrie
32 mins: Appears the goal has in fact been awarded an own goal from Barrow ‘keeper Paul Farman.
Harsh, that.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-0 Barrow | Joao Felix ’28
20:15 , Jonathan Gorrie
28 mins: GOAL!
A lovely free-kick from Felix kisses the post, hits the ‘keeper and nettles into the net.
Chelsea 2-0 Barrow
20:12 , Jonathan Gorrie
25 mins: Mudryk drives to the byline and fires in a tempting cross but Barrow clear their lines.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
20:09
The odd sign of frustration showing from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who is finding it hard to get on the ball in this congested inside left channel. He managed it once and played a lovely pass in behind for Mudryk.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Barrow | Christopher Nkunku ’15
20:03 , Jonathan Gorrie
15 mins: GOAL!
Nkunku bags an early brace with a delightful backheel after Gusto’s whipped ball in.
Chelsea 1-0 Barrow
20:00 , Jonathan Gorrie
14 mins: After a sloppy start, Chelsea have taken pretty much total control.
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
19:57 , Jonathan Gorrie
That’s what quality can do. Chelsea get the ball between the Barrow lines for the first time in this opening ten minutes or so and Felix’s pass is brilliant. Not the cleanest of finishes from Nkunku, but his fourth goal of the season nonetheless.
GOAL! Chelsea1-0 Barrow | Christopher Nkunku ‘8
19:55 , Jonathan Gorrie
08 mins: GOAL!
Lovely chipped ball from Felix finds Nkunku in space and the forward slots home!
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
19:52 , Jonathan Gorrie
It’s been a really poor start from Chelsea, and a good one from Barrow. Twice Casadei has given away free-kicks in the centre of the park and the League Two side have made clear that any dead ball in opposition territory is going straight into the home box.
Chelsea 0-0 Barrow
19:49 , Jonathan Gorrie
04 mins: Barrow look as if they’re targeting Jorgensen, looking to press him whenever possible.
Kick-off
19:46 , Jonathan Gorrie
Away we go!
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
19:42 , Jonathan Gorrie
I must confess I had to have a look where Barrow was when this draw was made and I can safely say it’s in an area of the UK map that I have never zoomed in on before. The last feasible train route back tonight, via a change at Preston, should leave Euston just as the half-time whistle blows here.
Chelsea vs Barrow
19:40 , Jonathan Gorrie
A big night for the young midfielder!
Chelsea vs Barrow
19:10 , Jonathan Gorrie
Closing in on kick-off!
Confirmed Barrow lineup
19:01 , Jonathan Gorrie
Barrow XI: Farman, Feely, Vassell, Stokes, Jackson, Campbell, Foley, Newby, Spence, Acquah, Garner
Subs: Stanway, Canavan, Tiensia, Eccleston, Worrall, Kouyate, Dallas, Weston, Telford
Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge
18:57 , Jonathan Gorrie
Reflecting on the team news!
Confirmed Chelsea lineup
18:53 , Jonathan Gorrie
Chelsea XI: Jorgensen; Gusto, Diasi, Badiashile, Veiga; Casadei, Dewsbury-Hall; Neto, Felix, Mudryk, Nkunku
Subs: Bettinelli, Colwill, Chilwell, Acheampong, Chukwuemeka, Fernandez, George, Deivid, Guiu
Chelsea vs Barrow
18:19 , Jonathan Gorrie
A hint on the team news?
Enzo Maresca sends Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall message in bid to kick-start Blues career
18:09 , Jonathan Gorrie
Enzo Maresca insists he has no doubt that Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall will make a success of his Chelsea career, but says the midfielder must adapt to no longer being his main man.
Dewsbury-Hall was Maresca’s star performer during Leicester’s promotion-winning campaign in the Championship last term, scoring 12 goals and providing 14 assists.
Enzo Maresca hails swift Chelsea progress but warns over ‘worst game’ against Barrow
17:58 , Jonathan Gorrie
Enzo Marescasays hisChelseaside are ahead of schedule following their fine start to the season, but warned that Tuesday’sCarabao Cupmeeting withBarrowcould be “the worst game for us”.
Saturday’s 3-0 victory over West Hammade it three successive away victories for Maresca, the first manager to achieve that feat at the start of a Premier League tenure since Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Chelsea vs Barrow: Latest Carabao Cup odds today
17:44 , Jonathan Gorrie
Chelsea to win: 1/25
Barrow to win: 45/1
Draw: 19/1
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
Head to head (h2h) history and results
17:44 , Jonathan Gorrie
The only other previous meeting between these two clubs came all the way back in 1948, with Chelsea winning 5-0 in the FA Cup.
Chelsea wins: 1
Draws: 0
Barrow wins: 0
When is the Carabao Cup draw? Date, start time, ball numbers and TV channel for fourth round
17:26 , Jonathan Gorrie
The Carabao Cup third round is in full flow, with three Premier League sides already falling to early exits.
Last week, Fulham were beaten 16-15 on penalties by Preston in a remarkable tie, while Everton suffered more misery as they were knocked out by Southampton.
There were no such issues for Manchester United and Crystal Palace, before Tottenham left it late but snuck through to the fourth round with a 2-1 comeback victory at Coventry, while Brighton beat Wolves to progress.
The remainder of the third round is played out this week.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Carabao Cup draw for the fourth round.
Three Chelsea players desperate to impress Enzo Maresca in Carabao Cup
17:23 , Jonathan Gorrie
A calm week and a comfortable victory over West Ham on Saturday has given Chelsea fresh momentum going into Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup meeting with Barrow.
Nicolas Jackson’s double, as well as a second-half strike from Cole Palmer, made it three successive away league wins for Enzo Maresca at the start of his tenure and leaves the Blues fifth, their only defeat so far this season having come against Manchester City on the opening day.
Chelsea vs Barrow: Carabao Cup prediction today
17:18 , Jonathan Gorrie
Anything but a convincing Blues win here would be a huge disappointment for in-form Chelsea, who look way ahead of progress in terms of their early development under Maresca.
Barrow will be eager to give a good account of themselves on such a big stage and have been in fine fettle themselves so far this season, but even a much-changed home side will surely have too much for the early League Two leaders.
Chelsea to win, 3-0.
Chelsea team news vs Barrow
17:17 , Jonathan Gorrie
Chelsea are expected to be much-changed for tonight’s Carabao Cup third-round tie against Barrow, with Ben Chilwell set to make his first appearance of the season.
Chilwell was part of a group of players frozen out by new manager Enzo Maresca earlier this summer as the Italian looked to trim a bloated first-team squad in west London.
While the majority of those players have since been sold or loaned, however, Chelsea were unable to find a buyer for Chilwell ahead of last month’s transfer deadline and the England international has instead been reintegrated into the squad.
Asked whether Chilwell and midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka, as well as youngsters Tyrique George and Josh Acheampong, could be involved against the League Two leaders at Stamford Bridge, Maresca said on Monday: “They’re going to be the ones in the squad for tomorrow.
Chelsea vs Barrow: TV channel and live stream
17:17 , Jonathan Gorrie
TV channel:Tonight’s game will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports+.
Live stream:Sky Sports subscribers will be able to watch on a live stream online via the Sky Go app.
LIVE coverage:Follow all the action withStandard Sport’sdedicated match blog, with live updates and analysis from Malik Ouzia at Stamford Bridge.
Welcome
17:11 , Jonathan Gorrie
Good evening and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup clash with Barrow.
Kick-off from Stamford Bridge is at 7.45pm BST.
