Chelsea vs Peterborough
FA Cup – Third Round.
Date: Sunday, 8th January, 2016
Kick off at 15:00 UK Time
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London.
Chelsea Team News & Preview
Chelsea host Peterborough in the FA Cup this weekend and the Blues will be desperate for a win here.
Their 13-match winning run in the Premier League came to an end on Wednesday when they were beaten 2-0 by Tottenham. Antonio Conte will be demanding a response from his side now and the Blues will be eyeing a big win on Sunday.
Chelsea are already out of the League Cup and will want to win the FA Cup. They were unconvincing against the lower league sides earlier this season (against Bristol) and will need to take Peterborough seriously.
John Terry is the only injury problem for Antonio Conte. The Italian is expected to rest some of his key players for the cup game.
Predicted Chelsea Starting Lineup (3-4-3): Begovic; Ivanovic, Zouma, Luiz; Aina, Chalobah, Fabregas, Alonso; Pedro, Batshuayi, Willian
Peterborough Team News & Preview
Peterborough will be aware of Chelsea’s inconsistencies in the cup competitions this season and will fancy their chances of an upset.
The Blues will field a second choice lineup and this is a great opportunity for the away team.
Peterborough are in good form as well and have won 10 of their last 17 in all competitions and have only lost three of those. Away from home they have won four of their last six and will look to give the Blues a run for their money.
Jack Baldwin is the only injury worry for the away side this weekend.
Predicted Peterborough Starting Lineup (4-3-1-2): McGee; Smith, Tafazolli, Bostwick, Hughes; Forrester, Lopes, Edwards; Maddison; Couthirst, Nichols
Chelsea vs Peterborough: Head to Head Stats
Chelsea have only met Peterborough two times in their history and the omens look good. Both times it was in an FA Cup, both times at Stamford Bridge and both times Chelsea scored at least 5 goals. The first game was in 1965 with a 5-1 win. The second was more recent in 2001 with a 5-0 win.
Chelsea vs Peterborough: Prediction
The goal for Chelsea will be to score quickly because as these games go on longer at 0-0 the less fancied side start to believe in the magic of the FA Cup and then anything can happen. Chelsea will be looking to put in a polished and professional display and to come back from a defeat. Any problems here despite player changes can manifest into their league form, we have seen this happen to many clubs over the years- and so this is very important game for the home side.
Chelsea vs Peterborough: Betting Tips
Chelsea to score at least 3 goals at 8/11 (1.72)
Anytime goal scorer: Gary Cahill (Chelsea) at 11/2 (6.50)
