Shamrock Rovers have lost both previous visits to England, beaten 3-2 by Manchester United in 1957 and 3-1 at Tottenham in 2011, while this'll be Chelsea's first-ever encounter with Irish opposition.
Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers Preview
Will Chelsea continue to swat aside all before them in the UEFA Conference League? Last Thursday, over 3,500 miles from home, in freezing conditions, the Blues swatted aside Astana, with Marc Guiu bagging a quick-fire early brace, before Renato Veiga's free-header not long after secured victory in Almaty. As a result, Enzo Maresca's side are now the only team in this season's Conference League with maximum points, thereby sat top of the table, having already wrapped up their place in the round of 16, scoring 21 goals and conceding just four to date.
In the Premier League meantime, things are going pretty well too, making it five successive league wins on Sunday night by beating Brentford 2-1 at the Bridge, with Marc Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson the scorers, meaning they're now just two points adrift league-leaders Liverpool. So, before visiting Everton this forthcoming Sunday, will the Blues claim an eighth straight victory in all competitions?
As for Shamrock Rovers, they have been the surprise of this season's competitions, one of only three teams still yet to taste defeat, alongside their hosts and Vitória de Guimarães. Stephen Bradley's side began their European campaign in Reykjavík back on 9 July, for context that is the day before England's semi-final victory over Netherlands, coming through four qualifiers to reach the group stages for just the third time in their history.
Then, on matchday one, Dylan Watts headed home a 92nd minute equaliser when APOEL visited Tallaght, with the Hoops not looking back since. They then hammered Northern Irish Larne 4-1 in Belfast, overcame Welsh side The New Saints 2-1 at home and then held Rapid Wien to a credible 1-1 draw in the Austrian capital. Afer that, a week ago, Rovers booked their place in the knockout phase of a UEFA competition for the very first time, swatting aside Borac Banja Luka 3-0, with Celtic loanee Johnny Kenny scoring twice.
This leaves them sixth on 11 points, seeking to cling onto a top eight spot, albeit there are five clubs just a point behind so, should Shamrock Rovers suffer their expected defeat in West London, they'll more than likely slip down into the play-off spots. The Hoops will be well-rested, considering the League of Ireland season concluded back on 1 November, missing out on the title on the final day, with Shelbourne crowned champions for the first time in 18 years. Nevertheless, this European escapade has made 2024 a memorable year for Rovers so, backed by a sizeable traveling support at Stamford Bridge, can they pull off a massive upset?
Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers Head-to-Head Record
These two clubs have never previously met.
Chelsea Team News
With their place in the round of 16 already assured, needing just a point to rubber stamp first place, for what that's worth, Enzo Maresca is likely to deploy a similarly youthful side to the one seen in Almaty last Thursday. Cesare Casadei was suspended for the trip to Kazakhstan, but can return to midfield, while Filip Jörgensen, Renato Veiga and Axel Disasi (who's one caution away from a ban), will maintain their record of having started all eight matches in this competition so far.
Other Conference League regulars include Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Marc Guiu, scoring of a brace against Astana, while a trio of teenagers Josh Acheampong, Sam Rak-Sakyi and Tyrique George all started that one too. Wesley Fofana, Malo Gusto, Reece James and Ben Chilwell are all injured, while Mykhaylo Mudryk hasn't featured since scoring against Heidenheim due to illness. Lastly, considering he'll be suspended at Goodison on Sunday, sent off after full time against Brentford, Marc Cucurella could be drafted in to start, as Pedro Neto did in similar circumstances a week ago.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Noah: (4-3-3): Jörgensen; Acheampong, Disasi, Adarabioyo, Veiga; Chukwuemeka, Casadei, Dewsbury-Hall; João Félix, Nkunku, Guiu.
Chelsea Player to Watch vs Shamrock Rovers
Christopher Nkunku had scored in all seven Conference League fixtures this season, before not being asked to make the arduous trip to Almaty, but the Frenchman is likely to be back in the team here, so will he be back amongst the goals?
Shamrock Rovers Team News
Stephen Bradley has named an unchanged lineup for Shamrock Rovers' last two Conference League matches, with seven players starting all five fixtures in the league phase, meaning a settled side is expected. Captain Pico Lopes is a Dublin-born Cape Verde international, winning 34 caps for the Blue Sharks to date, starting four of five matches at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this years. Midfielder Markus Poom is their other full-international, having appeared 29 times for Estonia; his father Mart made two appearances for Arsenal in 2006/07, also featuring for Sunderland, Watford and Portsmouth. Daniel Cleary, Dylan Watts and Neil Farrugia would all miss the first leg of whichever knockout tie this team will be involved in if booked.
Shamrock Rovers predicted lineup vs Chelsea: (3-5-2): Pöhls; Pico Lopes, Grace, Cleary; Honohan, Watts, O'Neil, Poom, Burns; Farrugia, Kenny.
Shamrock Rovers Player to Watch vs Chelsea
If anyone is going to trouble the Chelsea back-line it's likely to be Johnny Kenny, considering he's scored 20 goals in 2024, on target during each of the last four Conference League matches. This makes Kenny the league phase's joint-top scorer with five, alongside Afimico Pululu of Jagiellonia Białystok and Christopher Nkunku, who he could come up against, a full-French international that Chelsea spent £52 million on.
Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers Prediction
Even though Chelsea will select a B/C team, they should be far too strong for Shamrock Rovers. The Hoops have done remarkably well in the league phase to date, but will surely not be able to cope with the quality the Blues have in their ranks, hence why an emphatic home win forecast: Chelsea 4-0 Shamrock Rovers.
Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers FAQs - Conference League
How to watch Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers Conference League game on TV channel?
Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers Conference League game will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: TNT Sports 1 & Ultimate
- USA: Paramount+ & ViX
- Canada: DAZN Canada
How to watch Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers Conference League game on live streaming?
Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers Conference League game will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: Discovery+
- USA: Paramount+ & ViX
- Canada: DAZN Canada
What is the date and kick-off time for Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers in the Conference League?
Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers takes place on Thursday 19 November 2024, with kick off at 20:00 (GMT), 15:00 (EDT) & 12:00 (PST).