Chelsea vs Leicester City Preview:
Possible starting lineups:
Chelsea:
Kepa; Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; James, Jorginho, Kante, Chilwell; Ziyech, Mount; Werner
Leicester City:
Schmeichel; Evans, Fofana, Soyuncu; Pereira, Ndidi, Tielemans, Castagne; Maddison; Vardy, Iheanacho
Chelsea and Leicester City will face in the 140th FA Cup final at Wembley. A limited number of fans (21.000) will be allowed inside the England's national stadium to watch the final as part of a pilot event to test the return of big crowds to venues. Each club have received 6,250 tickets, while the rest of the crowd will be made up of Brent residents, key workers, stadium guests and FA stakeholders. All fans attending are required to take a lateral flow test. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, will be presented to both teams before the final. Leicester City are looking to win the competition for the first time. They played four finals so far, but lost all - in 1949, 1961, 1963 and 1969. Chelsea, meanwhile, lifted the trophy at 8 occasions, starting from 1970. The final will be decided on the day, with 30 minutes of extra time and penalties if required.
The FA Cup, established in 1871, is the oldest national football competition in the World. Since its establishment, the FA Cup has been won by 43 different teams. Some of them are no longer in existence, while Queen's Park are not eligible to participate after a Scottish Football Association ruling in 1887. Winners qualify for the UEFA Europa League and face the champions in the FA Community Shield match usually played before the start of the season. Arsenal are the most successful club with 14 trophies and Arsene Wenger is the most successful manager in the history of the competition, having won seven finals as Arsenal's boss. The Gunners are the actual winners, having beaten Chelsea 2:1 in the 2020 final.
Leicester City managed to beat Chelsea with 2:0 in the Premier League on 19 January shortly before Lampard was replaced by Tuchel. They will meet again at Stamford Bridge next Tuesday in the Premier League. It will be an extremely important clash in the battle for the Champions League spot, particularly after the Liverpool's victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Thursday. But right now the final is in the focus. Chelsea managed to eliminate Morecambe, Luton, Barnsley, Sheffield United and Manchester City in the previous stages of the competition. The actual form is solid, but they suffered an 1:0 league defeat to Arsenal on Wednesday, something that could affect the players confidence ahead of the most important part of the season. Tuchel also has some injury worries. Midfielder Mateo Kovacic missed the last few games with a thigh problem and he is rated as doubtful. Achilles pain prevented N'Golo Kante from featuring against Arsenal, so the Frenchman is doubtful too. Antonio Rudiger should be fit enough to return, while his fellow defender Andreas Christensen is bigger doubt. Tuchel has confirmed that Kepa will keep his place in goal over Mendy.
Leicester City managed to eliminate Stoke City, Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion in the first three rounds, while it was much more challenging in the quarter-finals. Nevertheless, the Foxes showed their class by winning 3:1 against Manchester United at King Power Stadium. Finally, a narrow 1:0 win over Southampton in the semi-finals saw them fighting for the trophy that are missing in their collection. The overall form is mixed, one win, one draw and one defeat on the last three matches. The Foxes beat Manchester United with 2:1 during the midweek, but dropped five points on two, relatively easier fixtures. Brendan Rodgers' men played an 1:1 draw with Southampton and lost 4:2 to Newcastle. These results additionally complicated their position in the battle for Top-Four. Rodgers has some injury issues too. He remains without long-term absentees James Justin and Harvey Barnes, while captain Wes Morgan is sidelined with a back injury. Jonny Evans is rated as doubtful with a foot injury. James Maddison, who was initially named on the bench at Old Trafford, is expected to start here. Jamie Vardy will surely lead the line alongside the in-form Iheanacho.
Chelsea vs Leicester City Prediction:
Chelsea dumped Leicester out of the FA Cup in last year's quarter-finals, and they are unbeaten in the last 9 mutual games, winning seven of them. but the Foxes won 2:0 in January in the Premier League. With both teams going for victory, this should be a truly intriguing FA Cup final. However, I think Chelsea are closer to the victory. They are fantastic under Tuchel and I expect to continue that way. In few words, the momentum is on their side.
Chelsea vs Leicester City Pick: Chelsea to win @ 1.99 with
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