Chelsea will host Leeds United at Stamford Bridge this week in the third round of the EFL Cup for the 2026/27 season.
The Blues are keen to make a mark in cup competitions after missing out on European football this season, and their journey began confidently with a victory over Luton Town, marking Xabi Alonso’s official home debut in charge.
Leeds United, on the other hand, cruised past Nottingham Forest in their first fixture of this cup campaign. Managed by Daniel Farke, the Yorkshire side remains unbeaten this season and will travel to West London full of confidence.
Pressure mounts on Xabi Alonso
Following their recent defeat to Arsenal, which marked Alonso's first loss as Chelsea head coach, an early exit from the EFL Cup against lower-ranked opposition would be a nightmare beginning for the Spaniard.
Chelsea is desperate for silverware, and bowing out early would deprive the club of one potential title chance before the end of September. There are expectations that Alonso will rotate his squad, giving fringe players a chance to prove their worth, especially with the lack of European rotation.
Key match factors
- Home advantage: Chelsea has not lost to Leeds at Stamford Bridge since 1999, winning seven of the last nine encounters on home soil.
- Attacking firepower: The Blues have found the net ten times in their first four matches this season, while Leeds has kept things tight at the back but has yet to face opposition of this caliber (having scored only three league goals thus far).
- Historical stats: Leeds has only progressed beyond the third round of this competition once since the 2017/18 season, whereas Chelsea has stumbled at this stage just once in the last 15 years.
Prediction: A hard-fought yet deserved victory for Chelsea, likely to end 2-1.
Expected starting line-ups
Chelsea will be without the injured trio of Marco Palacios, Jordan Henderson, and Emmanuel Emega, but the biggest blow is the absence of Moises Caicedo. With a shortage of central midfielders, Romeo Lavia is expected to retain his place in the starting XI. In attack, Estevao may come in for Cole Palmer, partnering Morgan Rogers behind striker Danny Welbeck.
Leeds will also be missing Joe Rodon and Mateo Joseph, while Daniel James is a doubt due to back issues. Former Chelsea academy player Ethan Ampadu will captain the side at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Penders; Achimpong, Lacroix, Colwill; Gusto, Barco, Lavia, Chavarria; Estevao, Rogers; Welbeck
Leeds United (3-4-2-1): Trafford; Biel, Elvedi, Muharemovic; Bogle, Ampadu, Longstaff, Justin; Wilson, Aaronson; Nmecha
Match details and broadcast information
The game will be officiated by a referee team led by Jarred Gillett.
| Country | Broadcaster |
| USA | 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 |
| Russia and CIS | VK public pages |
