Chelsea will host Leicester City in the FA Cup quarterfinal on Sunday. In the fifth round, the Blues defeated Leeds United 3-2 to make it to the final eight. Their opponents defeated Bournemouth 1-0 in extra time.
Preview (Chelsea vs. Leicester City)
If Chelsea’s team avoids a cup upset on Sunday, Chelsea’s under-fire manager Mauricio Pochettino, who has yet to tick off winning an English football trophy on his CV, will get another chance to eat at Wembley a few months after their EFL Cup debacle. Following a commanding performance against Preston North End in the third round and a thrilling victory over Aston Villa in the replay, Chelsea gave Leeds a serious run for their money against Leeds, who appeared poised to force extra time until Conor Gallagher’s devastating 90th-minute goal.
Only a few weeks after that thrilling five-goal match at Stamford Bridge, Pochettino’s team defeated Newcastle United by the same score in a Monday night top-flight match. Despite this, the Blues will still be in the bottom half of the Premier League standings. Chelsea has won every game they have played at this stage of the competition. They haven’t lost a last-eight match since 2015–16. Nevertheless, the Blues can find comfort in both their overall performances in knockout events in 2023–24.
Exorcising their Stamford Bridge demons of 2023, Chelsea has only lost one of their previous 13 home games in all competitions under manager Mauricio Pochettino, while Leicester is no stranger to wreaking havoc on its West London rivals in the FA Cup. After eliminating Millwall and Birmingham City in the first round, Leicester advanced to the fifth round. They would likely face their hosts again in the 2024–25 Premier League season. On February 27, they traveled to Bournemouth, another elite team.
Team News
Ben Chilwell, who was included in the England team for their friendlies against Brazil and Belgium in March. He has returned to team training after a knee injury that turned out not to be serious. Therefore, the former Leicester left-back is a candidate to play against his former team. Benoit Badiashile, who suffered a groin injury, may also be able to return to action. However, Wesley Fofana (knee), Reece James (thigh), Lesley Ugochukwu (hamstring), Levi Colwill (toe), Romeo Lavia (thigh), and Christopher Nkunku (thigh) are still out. Furthermore, due to his involvement with Leicester in the FA Cup during his loan term, Cesare Casadei, another midfield option, is unavailable, and Enzo Fernandez, who has been booked twice in the competition, must serve a ban.
Concerning Leicester’s availability, both Dennis Praet and Ricardo Pereira, who played in the fifth-round victory at Bournemouth, have since sustained hamstring injuries and won’t be available until after the international break. Jamie Vardy will be arriving in West London after his team’s recent victory against Hull. The Foxes are generally in fantastic shape for the trip. The only player sitting on the sidelines with the duo is winger Kasey McAteer, who is experiencing discomfort. Vardy has scored four goals against Chelsea, which is the fewest of any of the Premier League’s Big Six sides, despite his reputation for being particularly successful against the heavyweights.
Chelsea 3-1 Leicester City
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