Premier League
Chelsea and Leeds United revive north‑south rivalry in Carabao Cup
Chelsea will host Leeds United in the Carabao Cup third round on Wednesday night, rekindling a rivalry that has endured despite the clubs being roughly 200 miles apart. Both sides bring recent cup history, with Leeds unbeaten in the competition so far and Chelsea eager to progress.
Action Images By  Adam Elliott AM GMT+1 is an EFL journalist. Having started at the sister site LeedsAllOver, he joined FLW in the summer of 2023 and also co‑hosts the All Stats Aren't We podcast. He is NCTJ certified and has worked in football media since 2022.
Try something different and explore why the rivalry matters, we invite readers to add Us for more insights. The road to the cup tie has been long, and the chant 'Aren' still echoes among supporters.
Historical roots of the rivalry
The rivalry was forged in the 1960s and 1970s when Chelsea and Leeds United regularly vied for major honours, embodying a fashionable London side versus a hard‑nosed Yorkshire outfit. Chelsea have described the fixture as a "south versus north" clash, one of the longest‑distance feuds in Europe.
The 1970 FA Cup final epitomised the hostility: after a 2‑2 draw at Wembley, Chelsea won the replay 2‑1 at Old Trafford. Official figures show 28.49 million people watched the replay on UK television, underlining the fixture’s magnitude.
Even during Leeds' 16‑year exile from the top flight, the animosity persisted, with only a single meeting in 2012. The rivalry survived periods without regular games, keeping the hatred alive.
Current cup context
Leeds enter Wednesday’s game unbeaten in this season’s Carabao Cup, having eliminated Nottingham Forest in the previous round and becoming the only Premier League side to knock out fellow top‑flight opposition so far.
Chelsea, under Xabi Alonso, have no European commitments and therefore view the cup run as a key priority, despite a recent league loss to Arsenal. Their start to the season has otherwise been strong.
During the 2025/26 campaign the clubs met three times, with Leeds taking four points from two Premier League encounters before Chelsea ended Leeds’ FA Cup run with a 1‑0 semi‑final win at Wembley. A 2‑2 draw at Stamford Bridge also saw Leeds recover from 2‑0 down.
In February 2024 Leeds travelled to Stamford Bridge for an FA Cup fifth‑round tie, taking the lead twice before Conor Gallagher’s 90th‑minute strike secured a 3‑2 victory for Chelsea.
The 2022/23 relegation season produced memorable league meetings: Chelsea won 1‑0 at Stamford Bridge, while Leeds responded with a 3‑0 triumph at Elland Road, one of their few league wins that season.