In the EFL Cup on Tuesday, Chelsea will host League Two Barrow to Stamford Bridge in an attempt to build on their impressive start to the season.
Before the tie, there were 64 spots separating the two teams in the English pyramid, which was the biggest difference between any third-round encounter.
To his credit, Enzo Maresca has done a fantastic job so far of keeping his players' attention on their on-field concerns in spite of all the off-field controversy that has engulfed the team this summer.
They ended the day in the top four, kept consecutive clean sheets for the first time in a year, and extended their winning streak in the Premier League to only two losses in 20 games after a resounding 3-0 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium on Saturday.
Following his mentor Pep Guardiola, Maresca is the first manager to win his team's first three away Premier League games after defeating the Hammers. Guardiola did the same thing with Manchester City back in 2015.
The fastest brace by a Chelsea player since Didier Drogba in 2005 was accomplished by Nicolas Jackson in just 18 minutes, and Cole Palmer added an incredible third goal early in the second half before halftime.
Chelsea is back to competing on four fronts this season, so their hectic schedule will come with a focus on their Saturday matchup with Brighton & Hove Albion.
In a week, the Blues will kick off their Conference League campaign against Gent. Maresca is expected to make significant changes for both that game and this cup clash against Barrow.
Due to their August European commitment, they were given a bye into the second round of the domestic cup competition. This is their first match of the season.
Even though Chelsea has had many achievements in the twenty-first century, they have not won the EFL Cup since 2015. They have lost three finals in that time, including the showcase match in February when a very young Liverpool team humiliated them at Wembley.
Barrow's fantasy trip to Stamford Bridge is his prize for making it to the third round for the first time in more than 50 years.
After being promoted from the National League, the club has only been back in the EFL Cup for five years. The competitive fourth-tier team will be hoping to perform well in this competition.
Barrow made apologies last season after losing to Bolton Wanderers in the first round, defeating Port Vale and Derby County to earn a rematch with Chelsea.
After defeating Newport County 2-0 on Saturday, Stephen Clemence's team enters the tie at the top of League Two with 16 points out of a possible 21.
