Chelsea Hosts Leeds in Carabao Cup Third Round Clash

The Blues are determined to recover swiftly after their first loss under Xabi Alonso. On Wednesday, Chelsea welcomes Leeds United to Stamford Bridge for the third round of the 2026–27 Carabao Cup.

Since Chelsea missed out on European competition this season, their Carabao Cup journey began earlier than usual. They comfortably defeated Luton Town two weeks ago, marking Alonso’s first official home match as manager.

Leeds secured a confident away win against Nottingham Forest in the second round and remain unbeaten so far. Coach Daniel Farke and his squad will be motivated to cause an upset in London.

After Chelsea’s recent defeat to Arsenal, another setback against a less-favored opponent would be a tough blow early in Alonso's tenure. The Blues had hoped for Champions League fixtures but must now focus on overcoming this tough cup challenge.

Score Prediction: Narrow Win for Chelsea

Even if Alonso opts for significant rotation after the Arsenal game, Chelsea’s superior quality should see them through. Fringe players will look to prove themselves as opportunities are scarce without European matches.

The Carabao Cup is a key chance for silverware, making this fixture crucial. Leeds possess capable attackers who could exploit Chelsea’s shaky defense, yet the home side’s stars are expected to grind out a close victory.

• Leeds at Stamford Bridge: Chelsea have not lost to Leeds at home since 1999, winning seven of the last nine encounters here.
• Scoring Form: Chelsea have netted 10 goals across four games this season. Leeds have been solid defensively but have only scored three goals in three league matches.
• Carabao Cup Records: Leeds have passed the third round only once since 2017–18. Chelsea, conversely, have failed to progress past this stage just once in the past 15 years.

Prediction: Chelsea 2–1 Leeds

Predicted Chelsea Lineup

Injuries to Marco Palestra, Jordan Henderson, and Emmanuel Emegha still affect selection, with Moisés Caicedo also sidelined. Roméo Lavia is expected to maintain his midfield spot, while Valentín Barco may feature to push for more playing time.

Wingbacks Pep Chavarría and Malo Gusto might support a strong central defense trio. Up front, Danny Welbeck should lead the attack aiming for his second Carabao Cup goal. Either Morgan Rogers or Cole Palmer could be replaced by Estêvão on the right of the attacking midfield.

• Chelsea predicted lineup (3-4-2-1): Penders; Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill; Gusto, Barco, Lavia, Chavarría; Estêvão, Rogers; Welbeck.

Predicted Leeds Lineup

Joe Rondon and Mateo Joseph are unavailable, and Daniel James remains doubtful with a back issue. James Trafford is likely to start in goal, cementing his place after arriving from Manchester City.

The defense may see Jaka Bijol return, pushing James Justin to left wingback, replacing the recently recovered Gabriel Gudmundsson. Harry Wilson could make his second start after joining from Fulham, paired with Brenden Aaronson upfront. Lukas Nmecha may lead the line instead of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Ex-Chelsea academy player Ethan Ampadu will captain Leeds at Stamford Bridge.

• Leeds predicted lineup (3-4-2-1): Trafford; Bijol, Elvedi, Muharemović; Bogle, Ampadu, Longstaff, Justin; Wilson, Aaronson; Nmecha.

Match Details

• Location: London, England
• Stadium: Stamford Bridge
• Date: Wednesday, September 9
• Kickoff Time: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST
• Referee: Jarred Gillet

Broadcast Information

• United States: Paramount+
• Canada: DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada
• Mexico: ESPN Mexico, Disney+ Premium
• United Kingdom: Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Ultra HD, Sky Sports Main Event