Chelsea vs Morecambe: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Despite having no wins in four, Chelsea are expected to make light work of relegation-threatened Morecambe from League Two. The hosts have used competitions like the UEFA Conference League as an opportunity for rotation and are more likely to do so in this fixture. These two sides met in 2021, where the Blues recorded a 4-0 win against the Shrimps.

Chelsea have been brilliant at home in recent weeks, with only one loss in their last six in all competitions at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues also scoring first in five of their previous seven. Morecambe have conceded first in five of their previous seven and come into this game with five losses in their last seven in all competitions – Chelsea 4-0 Morecambe

Chelsea host Morecambe in the third round of the FA Cup, with the visitors looking to cause a huge upset and knock out the Premier League giants.

Date: 11/01/25

Kick-off time: 15:00

Venue: Stamford Bridge

The FA Cup should provide a welcome distraction from Premier League action for Chelsea, who have hit an untimely slump with no wins in their last four games. It is a downturn in form which has seen their place in the top four come under threat. They have lost two and drawn two, ruing missed chances and defensive errors for their dropped points.

Similarly, Morecambe will be looking forward to a focus away from league football. They are fighting relegation in League Two, sitting second bottom and in serious danger of falling out of the football league. The Shrimps made it to this stage of the FA Cup with first and second round wins over Worthing and Bradford City, the former a non-league opponent.

Enzo Maresca’s team come into this tie as heavy favourites, and should be confident in putting up a lopsided score over their visitors. Despite their recent struggles, the Blues still have a formidable attack, even with the inevitable rotation. Maresca tends to use a changed side in the Europa Conference League and will likely do the same here.

Young striker Marc Guiu has scored six goals in Europe, and will fancy his chances of adding to his season tally. Christopher Nkunku will also likely see some minutes and he has thrived against lesser opposition this season. Morecambe have yet to concede a goal in this year’s competition, but it would be a huge shock if they were able to record a third consecutive clean sheet.

Whilst Chelsea have been excellent going forward, the same cannot be said about their defence, which can be prone to errors. They will not be expecting to concede against Morecambe, but if the visitors are to threaten, they will look to Ben Tollitt to provide it. The forward is the side’s leading scorer with six in League Two. In the FA Cup, Jordan Slew has been the main man, scoring two of their three goals.

There has only been one ever meeting between these two teams before. This came in 2021 in the third round, which also occurred at Stamford Bridge. Unsurprisingly, Chelsea were convincing 4-0 winners, under then-manager Frank Lampard. There were some big names on the scoresheet, as Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Kai Havertz all found the back of the net.

Chelsea vs Morecambe will not be available to watch on TV in the UK.

Chelsea

Expect Enzo Maresca to name a much changed side, with the likes of Cole Palmer and Moises Caicedo rested. Look for Marc Guiu to get a chance to impress up front with Filip Jorgensen taking the place of Robert Sanchez in goal.

Morecambe

Morecambe should have no new injury concerns ahead of this one, having had over a week off following a postponement at the weekend. Liverpool loanee Rhys Williams will hope to be involved.

Chelsea:

In their last five games, Chelsea have won one, drawn two and lost two. It has been a difficult stretch for the Blues as they have seen a sudden downturn in form. This continued in their most recent game at Crystal Palace. They were held to a 1-1 draw after a late Jean-Phillipe Mateta goal cancelled out Cole Palmer’s opener.

This followed two consecutive defeats. The latest was a 2-0 loss on the road at Ipswich, who won their first home game of the season. Liam Delap converted a controversial penalty, before former-Blue Omari Hutchinson took advantage of a defensive error to double the score. The first loss was at home to Fulham on Boxing Day, who beat Chelsea 2-1. The hosts took the lead through Palmer, but the visitors turned it around late with goals from Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz.

A goalless draw at Everton started their winless streak, as both teams had opportunities to take all three points but could not convert their chances. This run started with Europa Conference League action, as Chelsea ended the group stages with a 5-1 home win over Shamrock Rovers. Marc Guiu scored a hat-trick, adding to strikes from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Marc Cucurella.

Morecambe:

In their last five games, Morecambe have won two and lost three. It has been a tough stretch for Morecambe as they struggle at the bottom end of League Two. This run started with defeat as they lost 2-0 away at Cheltenham. A goal in either half sealed their defeat.

Next was a 2-0 loss at home to Bromley. Goals from Omar Sowunmi and Michael Cheek either side of half time secured the three points for the visitors. An important victory followed, as they narrowly beat Carlisle 1-0 on the road. Gwion Edwards netted the winner in the 61st minute, moments before Jon Mellish was shown a red card for the hosts.

The winning feeling did not last long, however, as they were on the wrong end of the same scoreline at Salford City. Matty Lund scored the only goal of the game shortly into the second half. Tranmere were their latest visitors, and Morecambe picked up another crucial three points with a 2-0 win. It was a fairly even game, but late goals from Yann Songo’o and Jamie Stott secured victory.

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