The EFL Cup has been dominated by the top Premier League clubs for over a decade now with no EFL representation in the final since League Two Bradford miraculously made it there in 2013, and there hasn't been a non-top tier winner since Sheffield Wednesday in 1991.

For Cardiff to have a chance at changing any of those records they will have to get through a Chelsea team who have a phalanx of young talent to deploy in this competition.

There are plenty more Football Tips on ABC, and these Cardiff v Chelsea Betting Stats provide further insight.

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📈 Cardiff v Chelsea Form & Stats

Cardiff are expected to gain promotion straight back to the Championship this season, and they are on course to fulfil that goal. They had a real roller-coaster of a match on Saturday, with Joel Bagan scoring a 99th-minute winner against Doncaster (4-3). That made it five league wins on the bounce for Cardiff and has allowed them to establish a four-point lead at the top of League One.

Cardiff's last five matches against Premier League opposition:

W 2-1 away v Burnley (EFL Cup, 2025)

L 0-2 away v Aston Villa (FA Cup, 2025)

L 3-5 home v Southampton (EFL Cup, 2024)

L 1-3 away v Liverpool (FA Cup, 2022)

L 0-2 home v Brighton (EFL Cup, 2021)

Chelsea got back to winning ways on Saturday, dispatching Everton at home with a degree of comfort thanks to a couple of first half goals. However, the general form has been inconsistent, with the Blues ending a four-game winless run on Saturday (beating Everton 2-0).

Chelsea's last three matches against League One opposition:

W 2-1 away at Lincoln (EFL Cup, 2025)

W 2-1 home v Wimbledon (EFL Cup, 2023)

W 2-1 home v Plymouth (FA Cup, 2022)

Chelsea didn't play a League One team in any competition for at least five years prior to the Plymouth FA Cup tie.

📔 Cardiff v Chelsea Formation & Team News

Cardiff will likely go as full strength as they are able to here. They are hampered in the #10 position, though, because Rubin Colwill is out injured and Omari Kellyman has been refused clearance to play against his parent club.

Despite this, Brian Barry-Murphy is unlikely to change his shape too much. Cardiff use a back four, and are likely to shape up in a 4-3-3 formation with Cian Ashford and Joel Colwill flanking top scorer Yousef Salech.

It is not easy to predict the Chelsea team given the competition and the tendencies of Enzo Maresca, but I would expect Tyrique George to lead the line, Moises Caicedo to come back in after his three-match suspension, and, with Marc Cucurella suspended, Jorrel Hato may start.

It should be a 4-2-3-1 shape, and there is the potential for Estevao to line up against a League One defence, which should be an interesting watch.

🔮 Football Predictions at Andy's Bet Club

Keep up with Andy's Tips, including EFL Predictions for this week, on Andy's Bet Club.

For Tuesday's football, we have an EFL Cup Double, as well as betting previews for specific games, including Man City v Brentford Tips and Newcastle v Fulham Betting Tips.

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* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.

* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.