Cardiff vs Chelsea preview
Head coach Brian Barry-Murphy says Cardiff City will not be “bullied” by Chelsea when the League One leaders attempt to secure a third consecutive surprise victory in the EFL Cup this season.
After beating League Two clubs Swindon Town and Cheltenham Town in the opening two rounds, the Bluebirds won 2-1 against Premier League strugglers Burnley and knocked out Championship side Wrexham by the same scoreline to set up a quarter-final with the two-time European champions.
“The anticipation for the game since the draw has been evident everywhere we have gone,” said former Manchester City academy boss Barry-Murphy, who joined Cardiff in June.
“Luckily we’ve tried to move away from it as much as possible while focusing on the championship campaign. Now that he’s here, the game is going to be incredibly exciting for everyone.
“We all aspire to compete against those at the highest level of the game. We are a very big club with a huge fan base.
Phenomenal. 💫#CFC | #CHEEVE pic.twitter.com/wDoiH6FJQl
– Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 14, 2025
“We will have to try to give these fans something to feel excited about. Every game we have played in the competition we have tried to be as forward as possible and show ourselves in the most positive light.
“This is what the fans want to see away and at home. A team of [Chelsea’s] caliber is clearly going to have the ball during certain periods of the game, and we need to show the different facets of our game to be in good shape to compete with them.
Fourth-placed Premier League side Chelsea ended a four-match winless run in all competitions by beating Everton 2-0 at home on Saturday before much of the attention focused on Enzo Maresca’s comments that “the last 48 hours [had] was the worst because a lot of people didn’t support us.
Maresca again refused to give further details on Monday about the comments, which were interpreted by many as internally targeting the club, and instead called for a focus on opponents ranked 40 places below Chelsea in the league.
“They are at the top of the [table]play good football and win matches,” said the Italian, praising Barry-Murphy.
“I know Brian… I was the under-23 coach [at Man City] and when I left, he succeeded me. He has come to see us during sessions and matches and he is doing a fantastic job at Cardiff.
“It will be a dangerous match for us and we have to be attentive and careful. We have the opportunity to achieve something important, which is to reach the semi-finals.”
Team News Cardiff City vs Chelsea
Rubin Colwill won the player of the tour award for Cardiff’s win at Wrexham, but the 23-year-old Welsh attacking midfielder is out following ankle surgery, while defender Ronan Kpakio is suspended for two bookings in this season’s competition.
Ollie Tanner has returned to full training after being out for four months with an ankle injury suffered when he collided with an advertising board at AFC Wimbledon, but the winger is not expected to play until January.
Gabriel Osho could return to competitive action following a toe injury suffered by the centre-back during the 5-1 home defeat to Wimbledon in the EFL Trophy on December 2.
With the score at 2-2, Barry-Murphy made a triple change in Cardiff’s 4-3 league win at home to lowly Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, bringing on defenders Dylan Lawlor and Perry Ng and striker Chris Willock for Will Fish, Ronan Kpakio and Isaak Davies.
Cardiff won thanks to a goal from left-back Joel Bagan in the 99th minute, and their boss will certainly want to see his team tighten up considerably from this performance.
The winner 👊#CityAsOne | @joelbagan pic.twitter.com/N0KWuwalt5
– Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) December 14, 2025
Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer scored his first goal since September in the win over Everton, but Maresca said the England striker would be rested amid a season interrupted by a groin injury.
“We have a number of players who need to be protected,” Maresca explained, adding that Palmer “should feel good” for the league trip to Newcastle on Saturday.
“The goal is to protect them and manage them. Cole is one of the players who deserves to be protected right now. Right now he is not available to play two games in three days.”
Dario Essugo is unlikely to be risked as the midfielder is recovering from a thigh problem. Defender Levi Colwill (knee), midfielder Romeo Lavia (thigh) and striker Liam Delap (reportedly suspended and has a shoulder problem) are injured.
Moises Caicedo is available after serving a three-match suspension in the league. Winger Mykhailo Mudryk is suspended indefinitely.
Cardiff vs Chelsea predicted starting XI
Cardiff City starting XI: Nathan Trott, Perry Ng, Will Fish, Calum Chambers, Joel Bagan, Cian Ashford, Ryan Wintle, Omari Kellyman, Alex Robertson, Isaak Davies, Yousef Salech
Chelsea starting XI: Flip Jorgents, Malo himself, Josh Achemangle, Tocrenor, Jorrel Hat, This is that of Moses, this is the Caice of Netton, Andrew, of the Saint, Andrew,
How to watch Cardiff vs Chelsea: TV channel, live stream online
Kick-off on Tuesday will be at 8:00 p.m. GMT (3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT), with live coverage in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Ultra.
Via Now TV, Sky Sports costs £14.99 for a one-day subscription, £28 per month for a 12-month subscription or £34.99 per month without a contract.
Sky Sports subscriptions include access to all 12 live Sky Sports channels and Sky Sports+, which offers live broadcasts and a dedicated channel.
Streaming is available on a wide variety of devices via the Sky GO app.
Cardiff City vs Chelsea Stats
- Cardiff have won their last five league matches, scoring at least three goals in four of those matches.
- Their tally of 32 goals in the Third Division this season is the best by four points, while their goal difference is six better than any other team.
- No player has scored more goals in the 2025/26 division than Yousef Salech, who has one goal and one assist more than any other player in League One and opened his account in this season’s EFL Cup with the opening goal of the game against Wrexham.
- City have had the most shots on target (32) of any team in the EFL Cup this season and have averaged the most accurate attempts per 90 minutes of any club in the quarter-finals (8).
- They have lost all five of their meetings with Chelsea – four in the Premier League, one in the FA Cup – since a 2-1 home victory in the EFL Cup in October 1986, when they suffered a last-16 defeat at Shrewsbury Town in their next match.
- Only Crystal Palace (16) have collected more away points in the Premier League this season than Chelsea (14), whose two EFL Cup victories came against Wolves and League One club Lincoln City.
- Before their defeat at Newcastle in the fourth round last season, Chelsea had reached the EFL Cup final in two of the previous three campaigns, losing to Liverpool each time.
- Aside from Queens Park Rangers (21.9), Chelsea have the youngest average player age in the 2025/26 EFL Cup (22.3)
- Blues winger Jamie Gittens and Cardiff’s Rubin Colwill are among 15 players to have provided two assists in the first four rounds, with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Tom Watson – whose side lost to Arsenal in the fourth round – the only player to have scored three goals.
- Only Liverpool (10), Manchester City (8) and Manchester United (6) have won the EFL Cup more times than Chelsea (5).
