Lincoln City vs Chelsea Live Stream: Carabao Cup Match Preview

The Carabao Cup continues with a compelling third-round clash as Lincoln City hosts Chelsea at the LNER Stadium. This match pits an in-form League One side against a struggling Premier League giant, setting the stage for a classic cup upset.

Match Details:

Competition	Date	Kick-off (GMT)	Venue
Carabao Cup	Tuesday, September 23, 2025	7:45 PM	LNER Stadium, Lincoln, England

Team Form and Analysis:

Lincoln City has had a fantastic start to their League One campaign, currently sitting in third place with just one defeat from their opening nine league outings. The Imps are coming into this game on the back of a 3-1 home victory over Luton Town, and they are unbeaten in their last ten matches across all competitions. Under manager Michael Skubala, Lincoln has shown a good balance of attacking threat and defensive solidity. They will be looking to their home advantage and recent form to cause a major upset against their Premier League opponents.

Chelsea, meanwhile, has had a difficult start to their season, with just two wins in their first five Premier League matches. The visitors are coming off a disappointing 2-1 away defeat to Manchester United, which followed a loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Under manager Enzo Maresca, Chelsea has struggled for consistency, and they will be looking to the Carabao Cup to turn their fortunes around. They are dealing with a number of key injuries and a suspension to goalkeeper Robert Sánchez. It is expected that Maresca will rotate his squad for this cup tie, giving a chance to some of the club’s younger players.

Head-to-Head:

The historical head-to-head record between these two clubs is heavily in favor of Chelsea. However, the teams have not met in over a century, with their last competitive match taking place in 1911. Chelsea holds a historical record of five wins, two draws, and only one loss in their eight all-time meetings with Lincoln.

Player to Watch:

Lincoln City: All eyes will be on their top scorer, James Collins, who has scored five goals in all competitions this season and will be a key threat in attack.
Chelsea: The focus for Chelsea will be on their new signings and young players, as Maresca is expected to give them a chance to impress. Players like Alejandro Garnacho and Marc Guiu are expected to feature and will be looking to make an impact.

Prediction:

Given Lincoln’s excellent recent form and Chelsea’s struggles, this match promises to be a much tighter contest than it appears on paper. While Chelsea has the superior squad quality, their struggles and potential squad rotation suggest that this will be a much tighter contest. A narrow victory for Chelsea or a hard-fought draw seems like a very plausible outcome, as Lincoln looks to pull off an upset against their Premier League opponents.

Live Stream and TV Broadcast:

You can watch the Lincoln City vs Chelsea match live on the following platforms, subject to availability in your region: