On Saturday, Celtic are back in FA Cup action when Chester will be the visitors. Chester are currently seventeenth in the Conference North, two divisions above Celtic.

Chester’s start to 2025/26 season has been inconsistent, with no away wins yet under their belt. They have won twice this season, beating Peterborough and Oxford, as well as at home to Curzon and Scarborough, with only the 2-2 draw away at Fylde giving them any points on the road so far this season. Last season, Chester reached the playoffs, and will be hoping to at least match that again this season. Their worst defeat on the road came at South Shields, who beat them 4-0. So far, their top scorer is Dylan Mottley-Henry, who’s found the net three times, but not away from home, with the highest away scorer being Pat Jones, who has scored twice on the road. On average, they score 0.8 goals per game away from home (1.2 overall), while failing to score in two away games (they’ve scored in every home game). Thanks to the 4-0 away at South Shields, they concede an average of 2.8 goals per game (two overall), and have not kept a clean sheet either at home or away.

Chester’s last visit to Bower Fold was in the Conference North, in 2013, when Chester beat Celtic 6-2, whilst our only victory over them at Bower Fold was in 2011 when we beat them 2-1 in the Cheshire Senior Cup. We have played Chester in the FA Cup once before, with Andy Scott’s incredible goal burned on the memories of the 3,316 spectators that day, putting Celtic one up inside ten minutes back in 1999. Sadly, Chester went on to win 2-1. Our only other FA Cup meeting was in 1996, when we played at the Deva stadium and lost 3-0.

In Chester’s last match, the 1-1 draw at home to Scarborough, Chester lined up as:
13. George Murray Jones
3. Nathan Woodthorpe
4. Declan Weeks
5. Tom Leak
6. James Jones
7. Tom Peers
8. Jack Bainbridge
9. Offrande Zanzala
14. Finley Shrimpton
18. Pat Jones
25. Kevin Roberts

In Celtic’s last match, the 2-0 home win over Trafford in the FA Trophy, Celtic lined up as:
1. Charlie Monks
2. Mike Koral
3. Kyle Brownhill
4. Charlie Doyle
5. Jack Byrne
6. Jack Tinning
7. Brandon Newell
8. Liam Tongue
9. Benni Smales-Braithwaite
10. Jack Irlam
11. Ellis Horan

On paper, this should be a regulation win for Chester, but this is the FA Cup, and Celtic are ready to face their higher league opposition, exactly as we were against Workington.