Lincoln City vs Chelsea Prediction: Mismatch On Paper - The Blues Will Run Riot!

Lincoln City vs Chelsea: Prediction for the Match on September 23, 2025

On Tuesday, Premier League giants Chelsea make the trip to LNER Stadium to lock horns with third-tier side Lincoln City in the third round of the EFL Cup. Only one team can progress to the next round. Who is progressing, and whose dreams in this tournament are coming to an end?

Lincoln City: Form and Statistics

Form: WWDWD

Lincoln City have hit the ground running in the 2025-26 EFL League One season. To be honest, few expected them to be anywhere near the top. However, the bottom line is that they are occupying third place in the league standings with 18 points and are a mere two points behind first-placed Bradford City.

The Imps became the fourth team in the league to defeat Luton Town this season. On Saturday, in front of 9,255 spectators at LNER Stadium, they secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory. Ben House bagged a brace, and Justin Obikwu scored once.

Michael Skubala's men have now gone ten matches without defeat across all competitions, recording seven wins and three draws. Of those victories, two were recorded in the EFL Cup. In the first round, they defeated Harrogate Town 3-1 on the road and saw off the threat of Burton Albion in the second round thanks to a 1-0 away victory. 

Lincoln City: Team News

Lincoln City have no new injury concerns to be worried about heading into this clash. However, they will be without two regular absentees, Jack Moylan and Dom Jefferies, who are dealing with ankle and hip injuries, respectively. Dexter Lembikisa remains inactive and won't take part in this upcoming encounter.

Head coach Michael Skubala was impressed with his team's performance last time out against Luton Town. There's reason to believe he won't make any changes to the starting lineup that secured three points in that match. That means we could see a 4-4-2 formation with Freddie Draper and James Collins leading the attack.

🔖 Probable Starting XI (4-4-2): Wickens; Darikwa, Jackson, Bradley, Reach; Street, McGrandles, Bayliss, House; Draper, Collins.

⛔️ Out: Jack Moylan (ankle injury), Dom Jefferies (hip injury), Dexter Lembikisa (inactive).

👤 Head coach: Michael Skubala.

Chelsea: Form and Statistics

Form: LLDWW

Chelsea are determined to find their form before things get out of hand. Entering this clash, they have lost two consecutive matches and are winless in their last three.

The Blues' first defeat of the season came against Bayern Munich in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League opener. The match concluded with a 3-1 away defeat. That loss negatively influenced their performance against Manchester United in the Premier League during the weekend as they suffered a 2-1 away defeat.

Enzo Maresca's men now shift their focus to the EFL Cup, hoping to return to winning ways. In the previous edition, they progressed beyond the third round, defeating Barrow 5-0 at home. However, they were stopped in their tracks by Newcastle United, losing 2-0 in the Round of 16.

Chelsea: Team News

Chelsea have as many as five players in the injury room. This includes Romeo Lavia (muscle injury), Levi Colwill (knee injury), Dario Essugo (thigh injury), Benoit Badiashile (knock), and Liam Delap (hamstring injury).

Mykhailo Mudryk remains suspended indefinitely. First-choice goalkeeper Roberto Sanchez was suspended last time out, meaning back-up Filip Jorgensen will fill in for him.

Signed from Brighton & Hove Albion, João Pedro has been a creative spark for Chelsea this season. The 23-year-old forward has scored two goals while providing three assists in his last six appearances. All eyes will be on him to deliver here.

🔖 Probable Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Jorgensen; Hato, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Gusto; Caicedo, Fernandez; Estevao, Buonanotte, Neto; Joao Pedro.

⛔️ Out: Romeo Lavia (muscle injury), Levi Colwill (knee injury), Dario Essugo (thigh injury), Benoit Badiashile (knock), Liam Delap (hamstring injury), Mykhailo Mudryk (suspended), Roberto Sanchez (suspended).

👤 Head coach: Enzo Maresca. 

Lincoln City vs Chelsea: Head-to-Head Statistics

In the last 8 meetings, Lincoln City have won 1 times, Chelsea have won 5 times, and there have been 2 draws. The goal difference is 24-6 in favor of Chelsea.

Lincoln City vs Chelsea: Bettings Tips & Odds

• Lincoln City have scored in each of their last six competitive home matches across all competitions. You can bet on over 0.5 Lincoln City goals for 2.15 at 1xbet.
• Chelsea have seen both teams find the net in each of their last three matches across all competitions. You can bet on 'both teams to score - yes' for 2.14 at Betway.
• Chelsea have seen three of their last four away matches produce over 1.5 goals in the first half. You can bet on over 1.5 first-half goals for 2.04 at 1xbet.

Lincoln City vs Chelsea match prediction 23 September 2025

It has been a very long time since these two sides last crossed paths. For their last meeting, you will have to go back to 1911 when the match ended in a goalless draw. However, it is safe to say that a lot of things have changed since then. Chelsea is now a powerhouse in English football and is by far the superior side heading into this clash.

This is a mismatch on paper, and I believe Chelsea can secure a commanding win on the road and end their three-match winless run. There's no value in backing them up in the full-time market, but considering the firepower they come with into this clash, support them to score in both halves.

Our match prediction: Chelsea To Score In Both Halves for a coefficient of 1.61 in the Bet365 bookmaker.

Our betting tip on the match: Total - Over 3.5 for a coefficient of 2.04 in the 1xbet bookmaker.

Our final betting tip on the match: Corners - Over 10.5 for a coefficient of 2.34 in the Betway bookmaker.