Good evening! Thank you very much for joining
Sports Mole for tonight's
EFL Cup fourth round clash between Chelsea and
Derby County at Stamford Bridge!
It is a chance for Frank Lampard to come back and haunt the club he had so much success at on Halloween night, with his Derby side looking for a second successive giant-killing in this season's competition. The hosts are the firm favourites going into the game, though, so it should be an intriguing contest!
Let's start with a look at the team news...
DERBY STARTING XI: Carson; Bogle, Keogh, Tomori, Malone; Wilson, Huddlestone, Mount; Waghorn, Marriott, Lawrence
DERBY SUBS: Roos, Forsyth, Johnson, Bennett, Holmes, Nugent, Davies
CHELSEA STARTING XI: Caballero; Zappacosta, Cahill, Christensen, Emerson; Kante, Fabregas, Kovacic; Loftus-Cheek, Morata, Willian
CHELSEA SUBS: Bulka, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Drinkwater, Barkley, Hudson-Odoi, Pedro
What can we make of those two sides, then?
Well, we'll start with the hosts who, as expected, make a number of changes from the weekend win over Burnley - eight, to be exact.
The only players to keep their places from that victory at Turf Moor are N'Golo Kante, Alvaro Morata and Willian, the latter two of whom were both on the scoresheet at the weekend.
One notable absentee is Eden Hazard, who remains sidelined with a back injury he picked up against Manchester United earlier this month.
The Belgian was not expected to be risked this evening as he continues to edge his way back to fitness, and Chelsea have not exactly struggled in his absence.
Pedro has taken Hazard's place in the last two games, but he only lasted half an hour against Burnley before being taken off due to illness. The Spaniard has recovered enough to make the bench this evening, but
Maurizio Sarri hands a much-deserved start to Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the front three.
The England international came off the bench to score against Burnley, making it four goals in his last two games for the club having also netted a hat-trick against BATE in the Europa League last week.
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Of the players who start this match, only Gary Cahill and Willian were still at Chelsea when Lampard was playing for them, and tonight gives Cahill an increasingly rare chance to remind Sarri what he can do having fallen down the pecking order this season.
Cahill also featured in the last round against Liverpool, and from that XI at Anfield Chelsea make just three changes with Zappacosta, Kante and Loftus-Cheek coming in.
As for Derby, Frank Lampard has chosen to once again name a strong team in the hope of pulling off another upset - indeed, they are unchanged from the weekend draw with Middlesbrough.
The Rams are missing Bryson - who was the last Derby player to score against Chelsea, incidentally - Evans, Ledley and Olsson through injury, but they do have a couple of players notably available.
Chelsea have given permission for on-loan pair Mason Mount and
Fikayo Tomori to play against their parent club this evening - a decision they insist has nothing to do with Lampard being in charge.
The Blues believe that the experience of this match could prove valuable for the duo and are willing to risk them having an impact on the game by allowing them to savour that experience - a major boost for Derby.
Mount had actually been a doubt for this game after limping off during Saturday's draw with Middlesbrough, but that proved to only be a minor problem and he is deemed fit enough to start tonight.
He is joined in the midfield trio by Liverpool loanee Harry Wilson - who scored a stunning free kick against United in the last round - and former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tom Huddlestone.
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It is an unchanged starting XI from the weekend, then, but there are changes from the famous win over Manchester United in round three, with Forsyth, Bryson, Johnson, Bennett and Nugent all missing out having started that match.
Malone, Huddlestone, Waghorn, Lawrence and Marriott all come into the side, and the latter came off the bench to score at Old Trafford so will be looking to add Stamford Bridge to his list tonight.
The odds are against him doing so, of course, and while Derby have already produced a major upset to make it this far, tonight's match against an in-form Chelsea side looks even tougher than their third-round trip to Old Trafford.
Chelsea have begun the season in superb fashion, with Maurizio Sarri quickly laying down his ideas and the players buying into them. All of the players appear to love playing for the Italian, which is certainly not the feeling given out with Antonio Conte in charge.
The Blues come into this match unbeaten in their last 14 games across all competitions, winning 11 of those and drawing three since their Community Shield defeat to Manchester City.
That Wembley loss remains Sarri's only defeat as Chelsea boss, with the club currently enjoying their longest unbeaten streak since May 2015.
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Chelsea's unbeaten run includes their opening 10 games of the Premier League season, which is only the third time they have ever made it this far in a Premier League campaign without losing.
The omens are good too; on both of the previous occasions they have gone on to win the title - once in 2005-06 when Lampard was in the team, and then again in 2014-15.
This season, though, their 10-match unbeaten start has only been enough for third place so far, with Manchester City and Liverpool both two points clear at the top. It is only the third time in English top-flight history that as many as three teams have still been unbeaten after 10 games.
For Chelsea's part, they are also five points better off than they were at the same stage of last season and have established themselves as genuine title contenders now, but they still need to up their game if they are to keep pace in what is shaping up to be a thrilling title race.
Sunday's 4-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor was certainly a good way to go about making such a statement, with four different players all on the scoresheet to make light of Eden Hazard's injury - indeed, they have now scored seven goals in the two games he has missed.
Only Man City have now scored more goals than Chelsea in the Premier League this season, while only City and Liverpool have conceded fewer too.
Chelsea come into this match unbeaten in their last 11 home games across all competitions, with their last defeat in front of their own fans coming at the hands of Tottenham on April 1.
In this competition specifically you have to go back to January 2013 for their last home defeat - against Swansea in the semi-finals - with six wins and a draw since then. That stalemate did come in their most recent such match - a 0-0 draw with Arsenal in last season's semi-final - meaning that tonight they risk going two home League Cup games without winning for the first time since 2005.
Chelsea may have already passed the toughest test they will be handed in this season's competition, having come from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield in the third round when Hazard's brilliance inflicted a first defeat of the season on Klopp's men.
Such a result should give them huge confidence that they will progress tonight too, and they rarely slip up against such opposition - Chelsea have progressed from 18 of their last 19 League Cup ties against non-Premier League opposition, with the only exception coming at the hands of Burnley in 2008-09.
Chelsea may have already passed the toughest test they will be handed in this season's competition, having come from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield in the third round when Hazard's brilliance inflicted a first defeat of the season on Klopp's men.
Such a result should give them huge confidence that they will progress tonight too, and they rarely slip up against such opposition - Chelsea have progressed from 18 of their last 19 League Cup ties against non-Premier League opposition, with the only exception coming at the hands of Burnley in 2008-09.
Lampard was well and truly a Chelsea player when that defeat occurred, but tonight he is on the opposite side as he visits Stamford Bridge for the first time as a manager.
The former England international is sure to get a hero's welcome at his old stomping ground, where he scored a club-record 211 goals in 611 appearances between 2001 and 2014, winning 13 trophies along the way.
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Lampard won everything there is to win as a Chelsea player, including three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League - and, not to forget, this very competition on two occasions.
As a player Lampard did not lose on any of his last 19 matches at Stamford Bridge - one of which came as a Manchester City player - and he will be hoping to extend that streak into his managerial career tonight.
It is another dream tie for Lampard, who was drawn against his former manager Jose Mourinho in the last round and subsequently got one over on his mentor with a famous penalty shootout victory at Old Trafford.
Derby overcame an early United opener to make a 2-1 lead in the 85th minute, only for Fellaini to then rescue penalties in the 95th minute. It was a very high-quality shootout too, but Phil Jones eventually became the first player to miss as Derby took it 8-7.
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Only one team in the Premier League era has ever eliminated both Chelsea and Manchester United in a single League Cup campaign, with Sunderland achieving the feat en route to the final in 2013-14.
Derby themselves have not knocked out two top-flight sides in a single League Cup campaign since 1968-69, when Brian Clough was in charge as they eliminated Chelsea and Everton.
The Rams have also beaten Oldham and Hull in this season's competition - both without conceding a goal - and tonight's match makes it four out of four in which Derby have been away from home in this season's competition.
Derby have a decent record on the road in the EFL Cup, though, winning six of their last eight such matches, including the penalty shootout victory at Old Trafford last time out.
Derby's away form might be a slight concern for Lampard considering they have won just one of their last six inside normal time and have only kept two clean sheets in their last 15 on the road.
Both of those clean sheets did come in this season's competition, though - against Oldham and Hull - while if they avoid defeat tonight then they would have gone four away games without losing for the first time under Lampard.
Indeed, the Rams are currently enjoying their longest unbeaten run under Lampard as it is, although three of the five-match streak have ended in draws.
Promotion is once again the goal for Derby this season after a few near-misses in recent campaigns, and as things stand they are on course to challenge for it once more. Lampard's side currently sit sixth in the Championship table, only two points off the automatic promotion places.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Stamford Bridge, which means that it is time for a prediction!
Derby pulled off a big upset in the last round, but that was against a United side in poor form whereas Chelsea are flying at the moment. It is hard to see past a home win.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: 3-0
This will be the first meeting between these two sides since a League Cup clash in December 2014 which ended with Chelsea running out 3-1 winners at Pride Park - Eden Hazard amongst the scorers.
That is one of 22 successive matches in which Chelsea have scored against Derby, with the last Rams keeper to keep a clean being Peter Shilton way back in 1987.
Chelsea are unbeaten in the nine meetings between these two sides since the turn of the century, winning eight of those including each of the last five.
The Blues unsurprisingly have a formidable record here too, winning each of their last eight home games against Chelsea in a spell which spans from 1990 and 2008.
Not since 1983 have Derby actually won at Stamford Bridge, losing 10 and drawing one since that Second Division clash.
Neither Derby nor Lampard will forget the last time the Rams came here either, with the now Derby boss scoring four times in a 6-1 Chelsea win in March 2008, with Kalou and Joe Cole also on the scoresheet.
Right, we're just about ready to get started here at Stamford Bridge! A reminder of the team news before we do get underway...
CHELSEA STARTING XI: Caballero; Zappacosta, Cahill, Christensen, Emerson; Kante, Fabregas, Kovacic; Loftus-Cheek, Morata, Willian
DERBY STARTING XI: Carson; Bogle, Keogh, Tomori, Malone; Wilson, Huddlestone, Mount; Waghorn, Marriott, Lawrence
KICKOFF: A minute of applause is held in memory of the Leicester owner before Chelsea get us underway at Stamford Bridge!
Chelsea have made a bright start to this match, putting Derby under some early pressure with possession in dangerous areas.
GOAL! CHELSEA 1-0 DERBY (FIKAYO TOMORI, OWN GOAL)
GOAL! Chelsea knew what they were doing all along, didn't they? Having been allowed to play against his parent club, Tomori gives them the lead after just five minutes with a calamitous own goal!
Zappacosta gets down the right and puts a low cross into the box which should be an easy one to clear. However, Tomori completely misses the ball with his attempted clearance and it hits his standing leg before dribbling past Carson and in.
A nightmare moment for the youngster!
Nerves must have played a part in that for Tomori because it really should have been bread and butter stuff for him. He needs to put it out of his mind quickly, though.
SHOT! Chelsea are pushing for a quickfire second here as Morata feeds the ball out to Willian, who works a yard but then drags a deflected effort wide.
GOAL! CHELSEA 1-1 DERBY (JACK MARRIOTT)
GOAL! What a response from Derby! They level things up just four minutes after falling behind and suddenly we are back to square one!
Cahill really doesn't cover himself in glory as he gives the ball away and then falls over to allow the through-ball to find Marriott. The striker has time to pick his spot, and he slides his low finish past Caballero - who maybe should have done better.
This has been a really good start to the game, and that Derby goal could be exactly what it needed. Chelsea were looking ominous before the equaliser, but it has given Derby a real boost.
A long spell of possession ends with Chelsea whipping a dangerous cross into the box, but it is just too far in front of Morata in the middle.
Marriott is a striker in very hot form right now...
CHANCE! Huge chance for Derby to turn this game around and take the lead! Marriott clips a pass through for Waghorn, who races clean through on goal and only has Caballero to beat.
However, the winger gets the ball caught under his feet and in the end can only dig out a tame effort which is straight at the keeper. That should have been 2-1!
UPDATE: There has been a goal in another one of the EFL Cup matches taking place tonight, with Son Heung-min giving Tottenham the lead against West Ham.
Willian swings a corner to the near post and Loftus-Cheek is able to flick it on, but it goes through to safety with Christensen claiming that he was held at the back post. VAR says no penalty, though.
GOAL! CHELSEA 2-1 DERBY (RICHARD KEOGH, OWN GOAL)
GOAL! Oh, how is your luck Derby?! Having seen Tomori already score an own goal, his centre-back partner Keogh unwittingly gets in on the act now!
Loftus-Cheek pokes the ball out to Zappacosta, who again causes the problems with a fizzing low cross into the box. Keogh should still do better, though, as he steers the ball past Carson and into his own net.
SHOT! Fine play from Loftus-Cheek as he spins away from one defender, cuts inside past two more but then drags his effort wide of the target.
SHOT! Chelsea continue to pour forward in search of a third here as Willian advances into a shooting position, only to blaze his effort over the crossbar from just outside the area.
Chelsea lead this match 2-1, despite not having registered a single shot on target yet! All three goals have come from the feet of Derby players, and the Rams have now conceded three own goals in their last two games.
GOAL! CHELSEA 2-2 DERBY (MARTYN WAGHORN)
GOAL! Derby respond again, and we could well have a classic on our hands tonight!
This one stems from a throw-in on the left which eventually ends up with Mount being poked through down the left channel. The Chelsea loanee plays a low ball into the box for Waghorn, who cannot miss this time as he applies a simple finish at the back post!
Less than half an hour gone in this one and we already have four goals - all of which have been scored by Derby players, although one is on loan from Chelsea. It is a bizarre and brilliant game so far!
Derby deserve huge credit for how they have played in this game so far. They have been positive, attacking and have really given this a go.
Chelsea cannot get out here as Derby keep them pinned back with some high pressure. Chelsea survive, but there were one or two nervy moments then!
UPDATE: Arsenal are not having as many problems as Chelsea at the moment, and they have taken the lead against Blackpool through Stephan Lichtsteiner.
Chelsea win a free kick in a good crossing position, but no-one is on the same page as Emerson as he drops a ball into a decent enough area.
SAVE! Emerson comes forward and gets a shot away, but it was a really tame effort which Carson saves - Chelsea's first shot on target of the night despite having two goals to their name!
This match has settled down since that fourth goal, which is something I am sure Derby will be happy with as we approach half time. If they can get to the interval level then they will be very happy.
GOAL! CHELSEA 3-2 DERBY (CESC FABREGAS)
GOAL! Derby cannot hold on as Chelsea take the lead for the third time in this first half, and this time it does come from one of their own players!
Loftus-Cheek pulls the ball back from the byline for Zappacosta, whose attempted touch hits a Derby defender and falls at the feet of Fabregas. The Spaniard's first-time finish takes a slight deflection on its way through, and Carson cannot keep it out despite getting a hand to it.
Derby wanted VAR to be checked after that goal - perhaps for an alleged barge on Malone just before it. The officials saw nothing wrong with it, though, and the goal stands.
There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this action-packed first half.
HALF TIME: CHELSEA 3-2 DERBY COUNTY
What a first half that was! We have seen five goals, two own goals and a topsy-turvy encounter, and if the second 45 minutes is anything like that we are in for a classic tonight!
Derby are still very much in this match despite trailing 3-2 at the interval, particularly considering that they have actually been responsible for four of the goals we have seen tonight. They will believe that there is something in this game for them.
The hosts took the lead in calamitous fashion when Tomori - who was given special permission to play against his parent club - completely miscued his clearance and saw the ball deflect off his standing leg and in.
It was a horrible moment of the youngster after only five minutes, but he was bailed out just four minutes later when Jack Marriott slid an equaliser past the keeper at the other end following a Gary Cahill error.
Incredibly, Derby then fell behind to a second own goal as
Richard Keogh joined his centre-back partner on the scoresheet for the wrong team, again turning a Zappacosta cross into his own net.
Keogh should have also done better as he failed to sort his feet out in time, but once more Derby responded quickly when Waghorn turned the ball home from close range at the back post.
Chelsea's third goal arrived just before half time when Fabregas fired an effort past the keeper, but Derby have done it twice already and will believe that they can come from behind once again in the coming 45 minutes.
KICKOFF: Derby get us back underway at Stamford Bridge!
Some stats from that first half for your perusal...
Almost a chance for Morata as Loftus-Cheek reaches the byline down the right channel before playing a ball into the box. It spins almost into the path of Morata, but Carson is there to block at the front post.
Frank Lampard's name rings around Stamford Bridge from the home fans, and he responds by applauding them from the dugout. They still love him here, and for good reason.
UPDATE: There could be an upset on the cards at the Riverside, where Lewis Wing has given Middlesbrough the lead against Crystal Palace. Elsewhere, Arsenal now lead Blackpool 2-0 courtesy of Emile Smith Rowe's goal.
Chelsea seem to have a lot more control over the game at the start of this second half. They are dominating the possession at the moment and just passing Derby to death at the moment.
UPDATE: Tottenham have doubled their lead against West Ham, and it is Son who has doubled his personal tally too!
Chelsea have clearly been told to just control the game better by Sarri at half time. They are looking a lot more solid in this second half and Derby are struggling to create anything at the moment.
Chelsea have the chance to break, but Willian has a lack of options in the middle and the attack slows down. It eventually ends with Kovacic seeing a long-range effort deflect wide.
CHANCE! Cahill escapes the attentions of Keogh from the resulting corner and is left with a free header, but his effort is kept out by Carson! Big chance for Chelsea to perhaps put this game to bed!
DERBY SUB: Lampard makes his first change of the night as Mason Bennett replaces Waghorn.
UPDATE: Things may not be so straightforward for Arsenal in the final 30 minutes against Blackpool, with Guendouzi having been sent off for two yellow cards.
CHELSEA SUB: The hosts make a change here as David Luiz replaces Christensen.
CHANCE! Better from Derby as Huddlestone plays a really good pass through for Marriott. The striker gets plenty behind his finish, but Caballero saves it and the ball loops up and onto the roof of the net.
CHELSEA SUB: Another change for Chelsea sees Loftus-Cheek - who has been really good today - replaced by Pedro.
SHOT! Derby are starting to up the tempo again now! Their latest attack sees Mount cut inside before seeing a long-ranger strike deflect wide for a corner.
UPDATES: Interesting updates from the North London duo; Blackpool have pulled a goal back against 10-man Arsenal and West Ham have done the same against Spurs through former Arsenal man Lucas Perez.
Just 15 minutes remaining in this match now, but Derby are beginning to show that they still believe they can get something out of this match. They had been a bit ineffective in the opening 20 minutes of the second half, but they are looking dangerous again now.
UPDATE: Spurs have restored their two-goal lead against West Ham through Fernando Llorente!
CHANCE! This has to go down as a chance for Morata. The Spaniard is almost taken by surprise as a cross reaches him in the middle, and he is unable to react in time to steer in goalwards. He has to expect those!
CHELSEA SUB: A third and final change for Chelsea sees Cesar Azpilicueta replace Zappacosta.
CHANCE! Another half-chance for Morata as this time Emerson fires a cross into the box, but once more the striker cannot get a good enough contact on the ball to turn it goalwards.
CHANCE! Morata again! This time the Spaniard darts to the front post and does well to direct his powerful header on target, but Carson is alert to parry it away.
DERBY SUBS: Double change from the visitors as Wilson and Malone are replaced by
David Nugent and Craig Forsyth.
YELLOW CARD! Emerson goes into the book for a heavy challenge on Bogle.
CHANCE! Big chance for Derby to force penalties! Keogh finds himself inside the box and he takes a long ball down brilliantly inside the box with his chest. However, he cannot get enough on his finish to squeeze it past Caballero, and moments later Mount also sees a shot saved by the Chelsea keeper.
Time is running out for Derby now, but they can be proud of this performance even if they don't find an equaliser. They have given Chelsea more of a game than many Premier League teams have managed this season.
SAVE! More work for Caballero to do, although this is a routine stop to deny Marriott at the near post.
OFF THE POST! The luck really has not been with Derby tonight! Marriott slides a pass through to Nugent, who squeezes his finish beyond Caballero and it looks as though it will nestle into the bottom corner. However, it comes back off the inside of the post and bounces straight back into the arms of Caballero.
There will be three minutes of added time at the end of this match.
FULL TIME: CHELSEA 3-2 DERBY COUNTY
CHELSEA ARE IN THE QUARTER-FINALS OF THE EFL CUP!
Chelsea hold out to reach the quarter-finals, then, but boy did they have to ride their luck at times tonight!
Derby scored four of the five goals which all came in a remarkable first half, but unfortunately for them two of them came at the wrong end. Jack Marriott and Martyn Waghorn quickly responded for the Rams after the own goals from Chelsea loanee Tomori and Keogh, but Fabregas's goal four minutes before half time proved to be the winner.
There was another bad stroke of luck for Derby late on, though, as Nugent saw his effort hit the inside of the post and rebound back into the arms of Caballero.
Right, that is all we have time for this evening!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for this thrilling EFL Cup tie as Frank Lampard's return to Stamford Bridge is spoiled by two own goals as Chelsea progress into the EFL Cup quarter-finals at Derby's expense. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
