Chelsea vs Chesterfield Predictions

• Chelsea’s four FA Cup games under Tuchel last term saw a combined five goals scored
• The Blues have scored more than twice in just three of their previous 12 games
• Chesterfield have conceded just 16 times in 20 league games this term

Big week for Blues

While this is a plum tie for National League leaders Chesterfield, Chelsea are juggling some big matches ahead of this Third Round clash. The European champions are away to Tottenham on Wednesday for the second-leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, making rotation necessary.

The Blues are struggling with absentees ahead of Saturday’s clash. They are likely to save their stars for their rematch with Tottenham, so Thomas Tuchel will likely be fielding some unfamiliar names at the weekend.

Routine win for hosts

While Tuchel is likely to call upon some academy graduates, that shouldn’t open this game up too much. The German’s controlled style of play was clear in the FA Cup last term, when the Blues made the final thanks to two 1-0 wins and a 2-0 victory, before losing 1-0 to Leicester.

In this season’s Carabao Cup campaign the Blues have scored only six times across four games, while they’ve hit more than two goals on only three occasions across their last 12 matches.

Chesterfield are top of the National League thanks to a solid record which has seen them concede only 16 times in 20 games. While they face a huge step up in class, expect Chelsea to grind out a win rather than run riot.

Chelsea to win with under 4.5 total goals is the best value bet in my eyes, with a 2-0 home win my correct score prediction.