Chelsea are hoping to amend what has been a disappointing couple of weeks when they face Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup.
It’s a midweek fixture under the lights that Chelsea will be expecting to win, though they likely won’t be at full strength against Lincoln. That gives squad players the opportunity to impress Enzo Maresca.
The Chelsea boss has said that he looks at these games as dangerous, with the potential for complacency from his players.
Lincoln will be looking to get a result on their home turf, not caring about the heavy odds they face, and their manager has been quite open about something he plans to try against Chelsea. Something that has worked already this season.
Lincoln manager Michael Skubala is a long-throw specialist
We’ve all seen a rather unexpected trend hit the Premier League this season, and it recently cost Chelsea two points against Brentford.
The long throw has been adopted by most teams in England’s top flight, but Lincoln have been working on it for two years.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, manager Michael Skubala explained how his team focus on this set-piece from the sideline.
He says: “For the last two seasons, we have been working on a specific type of long throw. My coaching team and sports scientists have been involved in the process, and we’ve used AI to inform our decisions too.”
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Just Chelsea’s luck to be matched against a side laser-focused on something the Blues struggled to deal with against Brentford. Kevin Schade hoisted one in in the 93rd minute, and Chelsea failed to deal with it, leading to a Fabio Carvalho equaliser.
Maresca will be hoping they are more prepared this time around.
Lincoln will be at full-strength for Carabao Cup tie
While Chelsea will need to rotate in the face of important Premier League and Champions League fixtures, the home side have the luxury of fresher legs and an emptier schedule.
Skubala isn’t hiding the fact that he intends to field his best line-up, saying: “For a club of our size, playing a strong team in these games can be a huge benefit, as big as developing younger players. In the early stages of the season, legs are fresher, and you can do it.
“It’s different for a club like Chelsea, who are involved in the Champions League. But this is a great opportunity for us.”
That he sees playing a side two divisions above as a great opportunity suggests that his team will have the same fearless mentality.
Of course, Chelsea should win on Tuesday night, but Skubala doesn’t see it as a sure thing, and neither should Maresca’s side.
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