Like Manchester United who were eliminated by Spanish opposition in the Champions League this week, Chelsea return to action on Sunday to play Leicester in an FA Cup quarter-final.
The Blues put in a brave display against Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, but ultimately succumbed to a 3-0 defeat against the Spanish giants. They failed to score in that game, but over the course of the two legs, they hit the woodwork five times and played some of the best football they’ve played all season.
They travel to Leicester on Sunday to play Claude Puel’s side, who have just one win in six Premier League games. The Foxes haven’t reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup since 1981/82, but the team spirit that saw them win the Premier League two years ago looks to have returned and some of the players will be keen to add to their medal collection.
Leicester City vs. Chelsea Predictions
Despite not beating Barcelona, Chelsea created plenty of chances that could have gone in and that’ll be a boost to their confidence. Had they been more clinical, they’d still be in the Champions League. It’s a tough game to predict, but Chelsea to win by a narrow margin here.
Leicester City vs. Chelsea Betting Tips
Head to Head
- Leicester and Chelsea have met in five previous seasons in the FA Cup. Chelsea have progressed in all five ties, most recently in the quarter-final in 2011/12.
- Indeed, Chelsea have gone on to win the competition on each of the last three occasions they’ve met Leicester in the FA Cup (1997, 2000 and 2012).
- The Blues have won 12 of their last 15 matches against Leicester in all competitions (D2 L1), winning 2-1 at the King Power Stadium earlier this season in the Premier League.
- The Foxes have lost five matches at the King Power against Chelsea. Against no side have they lost more in all competitions (also five against Preston and West Brom).
- Leicester have been eliminated from their last three FA Cup quarter-final ties (2000/01, 2004/05 and 2011/12) and haven’t reached the semi-final since the 1981/82 season, beating Shrewsbury in the quarter-final that year.
- Kelechi Iheanacho is averaging a goal or assist (9 goals, 1 assist) every 55 minutes in the FA Cup in his career and has scored four goals so far this campaign.
- Only one of Claude Puel’s previous seven FA Cup matches has been against Premier League opposition. He lost 5-0 against at St. Mary’s as Southampton manager in January 2017.
- Olivier Giroud scored one goal and assisted two more on his FA Cup debut for Chelsea against Hull. Since his debut in the competition in January 2013, the Frenchman has been involved in more FA Cup goals than any other player (21, 14 goals and 7 assists).
Leicester City Team News
Leicester have been preparing for this game in a warm-weather training camp in Marbella for four days and the whole squad flew out, with the exception of Daniel Amartey, who’s suffering from a thigh injury. He’s been ruled out of Sunday’s game.
Probable Leicester XI: Kasper Schmeichel, Danny Simpson, Wes Morgan, Harry Maguire, Ben Chilwell, Demerai Gray, Vincent Iborra, Wilfried Ndidi, Riyad Mahrez, Kelechi Iheanacho, Jamie Vardy
Chelsea Team News
Willy Caballero could replace Thibault Courtois, who suffered a shocker in the midweek defeat to Barcelona. Alvaro Morata, Pedro, Gary Cahill, Danny Drinkwater and Davide Zappacosta could also start, after being named either as a substitute or not at all earlier this week. David Luiz is out with an ankle injury, while Ross Barkley misses out with a hamstring injury.
Probable Chelsea XI: Willy Caballero, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Gary Cahill, Davide Zappacosta, Danny Drinkwater, Cesc Fabregas, Emerson Palmieri, Pedro, Alvaro Morata, Eden Hazard
