Chelsea and Barnsley both lost their league game over the weekend. On Wednesday evening, these two clubs will meet in the tournament for the Carabao Cup. Chelsea are clearly the favorite for this game at Stamford Bridge, but at Barnsley they know that nothing is impossible in football.
Chelsea:
Three days after Chelsea’s 0-2 defeat against Liverpool, Frank Lampard’s team can go back to work. Fortunately for the West Londoners, Wednesday night’s game is just a game in the Carabao Cup against a second-tier club. Chelsea’s confidence has taken a big dent on Sunday evening. That certainly applies to the confidence of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Spaniard has not been the most confident goalkeeper on the football fields in recent months, and that has only diminished after the game against Liverpool. At the first goal of Liverpool against Chelsea, Kepa did not look very good, but with the 0-2 of the national champion, the Spanish goalie made another obvious mistake.
Lampard said after the 0-2 defeat that he still has faith in the most expensive goalkeeper in the world. Well one thing is for sure: the Chelsea supporters no longer have faith in their goalkeeper. The Blues have strengthened themselves in all sorts of lines in recent months. Only they were not in a hurry at Chelsea to attract a replacement for Kepa. Last weekend it turned out once again that the West Londoners still have to look seriously at a new keeper. If possible, they have to hurry, because Kepa really costs Chelsea points. It is also not an option for Lampard to put 38-year-old Willy Caballero, who is fighting against Barnsley, under the bar for a season. That too would be unworthy of Chelsea. The goalkeeper soap of The Blues will therefore be continued.
Barnsley:
At Barnsley they did not experience their best game last weekend. Just like Chelsea, Gerhard Struber’s team also suffered a 2-0 defeat. That 2-0 loss came about for Barnsley on a visit to Reading. Where for Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa the duel with Liverpool was one to forget quickly, the Barnsley players Michal Helik and Mads Andersen want to erase the duel at Reading from their memories as soon as possible. Both players received a red card, which meant that Barnsley played the majority of the game in between. Helik and Andersen have been suspended for the game at Chelsea due to their red card last weekend.
Barnsley finished one point above the relegation line in the Championship last season. In the current season, The Tykes also have to fear relegation early on, as Barnsley is still at zero points after two Championship games. In addition to the defeat at Reading, Barnsley also recently lost against Luton Town (0-1). It doesn’t mean they haven’t won a game at Barnsley this season. No, in fact, The Tykes managed to win both their games in the Carabao Cup. After a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, Barnsley was 0-2 too strong for Middlesbrough in the previous round. Whether Barnsley will succeed in winning a cup match for the third time this month on Wednesday evening will remain to be seen. It is certain that Barnsley will travel to Stamford Bridge as an underdog.
