Fans of League One's Plymouth Argyle will have had to set an early alarm to get to London today – the Devon side have a lunchtime date with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The Pilgrims haven't beaten the Blues since a League Cup victory in 1979 – could a famous giant-killing be in store this weekend? Make sure you know how to watch a Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle live stream for free in HD wherever you are in the world.
Kick-off: 12.30pm GMT, Saturday 5th February
Free live stream: BBC iPlayer
Watch anywhere: Try ExpressVPN risk-free
UK TV channel: BBC One
US stream: ESPN+ (07:30, ET)
Chelsea's form has stuttered in recent weeks, although Thomas Tuchel's side have still only lost four games all season. The boss will be missing from the sidelines this afternoon having just tested positive for Covid, but he's still named a strong team in advance of the FIFA Club World Cup. Lukaku starts up top with in-form Hakim Ziyech and Mason Mount, with Hudson-Odoi likely to be asked to play as a wing-back. The Chelsea bench includes 18-year-old goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe.
Even though Plymouth Argyle have won just once in the past four games, they may well see this as the best possible time to play Chelsea. The Pilgrims currently sit just outside the League One playoffs and a famous win here could be just the confidence boost they need going into the second half of the season. Defender Brendan Galloway is the only injury absence, with Panutche Camará back from the AFCON and starting in midfield. Luke Jephcott and Jordon Garrick start up front.
Kick-off in this 4th round FA Cup fixture is today, Saturday 5th February at 12:30pm (GMT) and 07:30 (ET). Read on to find out how to watch a Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle free live stream, wherever you are in the world.
Watch Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle for free
The BBC has the rights to air Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle in the UK, and it's worth remembering that you can enjoy the coverage for free from abroad too as a UK national using a VPN (more details below).
Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle will be available on UK TVs via the BBC Red Button, the BBC Sport website, or through the BBC iPlayer app which you can view on a smart TV, tablet, smartphone or through your browser.
Australians can also tune into every FA Cup game for free too using 10Play.
Watch a Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle live stream abroad using a VPN
Even if you have access to the BBC, you won't be able to watch the BBC iPlayer app when outside the UK without a VPN. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, such that the servers and services you’re accessing aren’t aware of what you’re doing. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.
There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. If you're not happy with the service any time within the first 30-days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.
How to use a VPN
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.
2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the FA Cup, you may wish to choose 'UK' to access iPlayer.
3. Then head over to iPlayer on your browser or device and enjoy a Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle live stream.
If, for whatever reason, you can't get it working, then do remember that you have the comfort of a 30-day money back guarantee with ExpressVPN. You could also try NordVPN, which also comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, and Surfshark which offers 24 hour assistance.
- Our pick of the the best VPN deals
Watch a USA Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle live stream
ESPN and ESPN+ have the rights to show Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle in the US, as well as all the other FA Cup games and a host of other sport. All matches will be available in English and Spanish.
You can sign up to ESPN+, the channel's online streaming service. It costs $4.99 per month or $12.99 for a bargain along with Hulu and Disney+.
Of course, if you're a Brit abroad, you can just watch Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle for free instead on the BBC by using a VPN, such as ExpressVPN, which offers the free BBC iPlayer live stream from anywhere in the world.
Australia: Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle live stream
If you're in Australia, 10Play will provide coverage of this season's FA Cup. 10Play is free and will show most live games, including Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle, which kicks off at 1:30am (AEDT), so it's probably not worth going to bed.
Stuck outside Oz at the moment? You can always use a VPN to access a live stream without being blocked.
Watch Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle on DAZN
DAZN is the home of football in Germany, Italy, Japan, Austria, Spain and Switzerland, and is well worth signing up to for all the FA Cup action as well as a host of other events.
Prices vary but are generally very favourable. DAZN usually offers a free 7-day trial, depending on your location. You can try it out for watching Chelsea vs Plymouth Argyle and then decide to cancel or continue your subscription.
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