Less than three days since Chelsea’s important win against Manchester City, the Blues are back in action today with a FA Cup quarter-final tie against a Leicester City side yet to record a win since the Premier League restart.
Chelsea come into the game off the back of a hard-fought 2-1 victory against a strong Manchester City side mid-week, with a late penalty securing the win for the Blues. Despite a lack of possession, the west London side showed a dogged determination to withstand the attacking play of City, dealing well with City’s false nine tactic and ultimately capitalising on their chances.
Meanwhile, Leicester have failed to record a win since the Premier League returned earlier this month, drawing 1-1 against Watford in their opening game, followed by a goalless draw against Brighton. With Chelsea now just one point behind the Foxes in the league table, it will be interesting to see how Brendan Roger’s team approach this fixture.
Previous FA Cup meetings
Chelsea will be hoping that history repeats itself given the last time the two met in the 2018 FA cup quarter final; the Blues went on to lift the trophy. It is also no secret that Chelsea have enjoyed success in the cup competition over the last two decades, with Frank Lampard himself winning four FA Cups during his thirteen-year tenure with the Blues. This record, coupled with Leicester failing to record a win in the previous eight FA Cup clashes with the Blues, suggests that the Foxes will have a lot to do in today’s game at the King Power Stadium if they want to proceed onto the next round.
Chelsea’s line-up options
Considering Frank Lampard’s recent admission that he: ‘Will certainly have to think about if we need to rotate to keep freshness in the players’, it seems highly likely that we will see multiple changes to the starting eleven that triumphed over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City earlier this week. With the emphasis on rotations, the introduction of Billy Gilmour to the heart of Chelsea’s midfield is surely imminent, while Tammy Abraham also looks likely to make his first start since fixtures resumed on 17th June. With Ruben Loftus-Cheek also back from a long-term injury, it will be interesting to see how Lampard utilises his bench to ensure both Chelsea’s cup and league ambitions are met.
Wider consequences of a win
With only one point separating both teams in the league, today’s game will undoubtedly serve as a catalyst to both sides league ambitions, as well as their hopes of a successful cup run.
A win today would see Frank Lampard’s side extend their recent run of form to five straight wins in all competitions, while also ensuring they edge closer to securing silverware this season.
For Leicester City, a win in this cup competition would certainly give them the confidence to transform their recent run of form, something they must do if they are to see out the league season in third place and retain European Qualification.
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