Chelsea entertain Preston in the FA Cup third round this afternoon.
Having already made the Carabao Cup semi-finals, the Blues will expect to pass through this test to continue their progress under Mauricio Pochettino.
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A banana skin against Luton was narrowly avoided last time out and victory here will make it five wins in six games.
Championship outfit Preston are on a very contrasting run of form, having lost four of their last five. Furthermore, North End have failed to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup in six of the last eight seasons.
A 6,000-strong away following will back them in the capital and manager Ryan Lowe has backtracked after describing the game as the "least of his worries" amid his team's league struggles.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Chelsea vs Preston is scheduled for a 5:30pm GMT kick-off today on Saturday January 6, 2024.
The match will take place at Stamford Bridge in west London.
Where to watch Chelsea vs Preston
TV channel: In the UK, today's game will be televised live and free-to-air on the BBC red button service.
Live stream: Fans can also catch the contest for free online via the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.
Live blog: You can follow all the action this evening via Standard Sport’s live blog, with expert analysis from Nizaar Kinsella at the ground.
Chelsea vs Preston team news
Chelsea XI: Petrovic; Gilchrist, Disasi, Colwill, Gusto; Fernandez, Caicedo; Sterling, Palmer, Mudryk; Broja.
Subs: Bergstrom, Bettinelli, Silva, Maatsen, Williams, Gallagher, Golding, Madueke, Washington
Preston XI: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Potts, Whiteman, McCann, Browne, Millar; Keane, Osmajic
Subs: Cornell, Cunningham, Best, Ledson, Frokjaer, Holmes, Woodburn, Evans, Riis
Chelsea vs Preston prediction
The visitors are very much out of form and come up against a Chelsea team enjoying their cup excursions under Pochettino.
Chelsea to win, 3-0.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
These two teams have only met twice this century, both in the FA Cup, with Chelsea winning on each occasion.
Chelsea wins: 31
Preston wins: 26
Draws: 17
Chelsea vs Preston match odds
Chelsea to win: 2/13
Preston to win: 15/1
Draw: 13/2
