Chelsea vs Wimbledon: 3 things to look out for in EFL Cup opener

Former Crawley Town winger James Tilley is one of the biggest reasons why. In June, Tilley put pen to paper on a two-year contract with Wimbledon. Since then, the Englishmen has five of the club’s 13 goal contributions in League Two, accumulating four goals in just five games. The side’s No. 7 netted two against Colchester United FC back on August 15. If you are going to maintain a close watch on any of Johnnie Jackson’s men, Tilley is the one. For the majority of matches so far, the former Brighton youth player has been positioned on the right wing, behind two forwards up top.

1. Mason Burstow’s potential impact in the frontline

While many players on this CFC side are unfamiliar with the Dons, young striker Mason Burstow has some recent experience. On his loan in League One with Charlton Athletic, Burstow took the field as a substitute in the Addicks’ narrow one goal triumph over the fellow London outfit.

This is the game for Pochettino to provide competitors like the 20-year-old a chance to prove his worth as a potential impact piece this season. It is hard to bet against a player that scored his first professional goal on his first touch at that level.

The London native found the back of the net in pre-season against Borussia Dortmund on top of converting 10 goals at the Premier League Two level last year. As much as Nicolas Jackson is the striker to invest in for the foreseeable future, Burstow no doubt has the potential to lead the Blues to their first win in the EFL Cup since Antonio Rüdiger put the nail in Tottenham’s chances in January 2022.

The Chelsea FC vs. Wimbledon contest will be broadcast on talkSPORT 2 radio in the United Kingdom.