The eventful start to the year for Chelsea continues with an FA Cup tie against Charlton Athletic. The EFL Championship side will be eager to upset them in The FA Cup, but Liam Rosenior’s players are determined to end their poor run on Saturday.
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic come into the game against Chelsea in poor form. Since 8 November, they have managed only one win in 11 matches, suffering seven defeats in that spell, three of them without scoring. At the weekend the team failed to win away to struggling EFL Championship side Blackburn Rovers, drawing 2:2 after letting a two-goal lead slip. At home, the hosts have not scored more than two goals in a match since 18 October, a run of five consecutive fixtures.
Chelsea
Despite the unexpected dismissal of Enzo Maresca, Chelsea performed well at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City (1:1), salvaging a draw with a late goal from Enzo Fernández. Away to Fulham (1:2), already with Liam Rosenior on the touchline, they were not as fortunate: Marc Cucurella’s red card left his team a man down, even though they produced 2.39 xG. The only real positive from the match against Fulham was a debut goal in the Premier League for Liam Delap for the side. The FA Cup tie is likely to be used by the visitors to test their squad depth, with the new head coach giving opportunities to motivated players.
Charlton Athletic vs Chelsea Prediction
Charlton Athletic are unlikely to create even two or three clear chances against Chelsea, who are focused on winning. Cole Palmer will be keen to end his run without goal contributions, so we will back the visiting side with the handicap.
