Chelsea vs Leicester City Preview, Prediction and Betting Tips | FA Cup

• Date: 17 March, Sunday
• Kick-Off Time: 12:45 PM (GMT)
• Stadium: Stamford Bridge

Chelsea vs Leicester City Preview: 

Chelsea vs Leicester City will kick-off on Sunday afternoon as both clubs chase cup glory. For Chelsea, the FA Cup is the only opportunity for them to end the season with a trophy. Despite making an excellent run in the Carabao Cup, the Blues lost to Liverpool in the final. Their season in the Premier League has been forgettable as they are currently 11th in the league while they didn’t qualify for European competitions at all at the end of last season. They will host Leicester in the FA Cup on the back of a thrilling 3-2 victory against Newcastle on the weekend.

Leicester come into the battle at Stamford Bridge on the back of a lousy 2-2 draw against Hull City. The Championship table toppers haven’t had the best few weeks, but are on track to return to the Premier League after being absent for a season. The club had a terrible 22/23 season which led to them being relegated, but have rebuilt the squad exceptionally well. They will be eager to send a message to all Premier League sides on Sunday by beating Chelsea. 

Also Read: Burnley vs Brentford Preview, Prediction and Betting Tips | PL

Chelsea vs Leicester Team News: 

Chelsea:

Chelsea have spent millions of dollars on building a squad with great depth. Unfortunately, the Blues have been hounded by injuries all season long eating into the squad depth. While many players are on the cusp of returning for Chelsea, few will still be missing for Chelsea vs Leicester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

On Sunday, the Blues will be without the services of Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkuku. While both players have returned to training, it seems unlikely that they will participate in the game against Leicester. Captain Reece James will also remain on the sidelines as he continues to recover from his long-term injury. He is currently recovering well and is expected to be back on the pitch in April. Levi Colwill and Benoit Badiashile will continue working on their recovery as well. The duo is expected to return soon but is extremely unlikely to return for the tie against Leicester City in the FA Cup.

Left-back Ben Chilwell recently sustained an injury in the game against Brentford as well and he will certainly be ruled out for the quarterfinals. Thiago Silva returned to the Chelsea bench for the Premier League tie against Newcastle United and might start against Leicester in a much-welcome boost for the Blues. 

Leicester City:

The Foxes enter the game at Stamford with their own set of injuries. While Leicester don’t have as many injuries as Chelsea, they will be missing many key players on Sunday. Right-back Ricardo Pereira sustained a hamstring injury earlier this month and will continue to recover on the sidelines. He is a crucial cornerstone in the Leicester side and his absence will be felt on the right. Kasey McAteer has also been struggling with some discomfort and is unlikely to join the squad in time against Chelsea. Dennis Praet will also miss the FA Cup tie against Chelsea. 

Chelsea vs Leicester City Lineups: 

Chelsea Expected XI:

Dorde Petrovic (GK), Malo Gusto, Thiago Silva, Trevor Chalobah, Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher (C), Raheem Sterling, Nico Jackson

Leicester Expected XI:

Mads Hermansen (GK), Hamza Choudhary, Wout Faes, Conor Coady, Callum Doyle, Harry Winks, Kiernan Drewsbury-Hall, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku, James Justin, Stephy Mavdidi, Jamie Vardy (C) 

Chelsea vs Leicester City Head-to-Head Record: 

Chelsea vs Leicester has always been a tie of historical significance in England. Since 1905, the two clubs have faced each other a whopping 124 times. Naturally, Chelsea have dominated the tie having won 61 of the 124 battles. Meanwhile, Leicester City has managed to win 28 games while 35 ties between the two sides have ended in a draw. Their latest meeting came last season in the Premier League when Chelsea won 1-3 away from home. 

Last five results:

• Leicester 1-3 Chelsea:- Premier League – 11 March, 2023
• Chelsea 1-2 Leicester:- Premier League – 27 August, 2022
• Chelsea 1-1  Leicester:- Premier League – 20 May, 2022
• Leicester 0-3 Chelsea:- Premier League – 20 November, 2021
• Chelsea 2-1 Leicester:- Premier League- 19 May, 2021

Chelsea vs Leicester City Prediction:

Both Chelsea and Leicester enter the tie at Stamford Bridge in mixed form. While Chelsea should have the firepower to beat Leicester, one can’t consider the Foxes to be an easily beatable side. Interestingly, the last time Leicester won against Chelsea was way back in 2021 when Leicester beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final in the 20/21 season. If Leicester arrive at Stamford Bridge in similar form, Chelsea vs Leicester could make an exceptional match to watch.

Predicted Score: Chelsea 2-1 Leicester

Chelsea vs Leicester City Betting Tips and Odds:

Bookmakers expect Chelsea to win the game comfortably and score two goals.

• Chelsea win: 1.41
• Draw: 4.80
• Leicester win: 6.80

Odds Source: Oddspedia.com

Bookmaker: Stake

Where to watch Chelsea vs Leicester:

• India: SonyLiv, Sony Sports Network
• England: ITV Sport
• USA: ESPN+

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