CHELSEA VS. LEICESTER CITY: FA CUP FINAL | MATCH PREDICTION AND FANTASY FOOTBALL TIPS
Chelsea take on Leicester City in the prestigious FA Cup final at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday evening.
A special day in the English football calendar takes center stage at Wembley, as 20,000 fans get ready to see the two teams clash. Both teams have been impressive this season and will be intent on lifting the coveted trophy.
8-time winners Chelsea are not new to FA Cup glory as they last won the trophy in 2018, beating Manchester United by 1-0. The Blues have been a different unit under Thomas Tuchel, having defeated Man City in the semifinals to reach here. However, they come here after a 1-0 defeat at the hands of local rivals Arsenal in midweek.
Leicester are appearing in their first FA Cup final since 1969 and have never won the competition in their history. They made it to the final, courtesy of a 1-0 win over Southampton in the semifinals, and are coming into this game after beating a second-string Manchester United team to register a 2-1 victory on Tuesday. Should Brendan Rodgers’ team manage to keep their focus and play the match rather than the occasion, they stand a real chance of making history.
It will be the 119th meeting between Chelsea and Leicester in all competitions, with the Blues boasting 57 wins as compared to the Foxes' 27. Chelsea ousted Leicester out of the FA Cup in last year's quarterfinals, and they remain unbeaten in 9 previous meetings against them in the competition (W7, D2).
The two sides have faced each once so far this season in the Premier League, with Leicester winning the game by 2-0 in what was the final match of Frank Lampard as Chelsea’s head coach. Ndidi and Maddison scored first-half goals to seal the 3 points for the Foxes.
Rivalry Stats
- This will be the 140th FA Cup final, with Chelsea and Leicester becoming the 117th different pairing in the competition’s final. Manchester City’s 6-0 defeat of Watford in 2019 was the last time two sides met in the final for the first time.
- Chelsea will be appearing in their 15th FA Cup final, with only Arsenal (21) and Manchester United (20) reaching the final on more occasions. Only the Gunners (14) and the Red Devils (12) have won the trophy on more occasions than Chelsea (8).
- This will be Leicester City’s fifth appearance in an FA Cup final and their first since 1969. The Foxes have lost all four previous finals, the most appearances a side has made in the FA Cup final without ever winning the trophy.
- Leicester City have won just 4 of their 15 games played at the Wembley Stadium (D1, L10). Following their victory against Southampton in the semifinal, the Foxes will be aiming to win consecutive matches at this venue for only the second time.
- No player has scored more goals in this season’s FA Cup than Leicester’s Kelechi Iheanacho (4). He has scored a third of the Foxes’ goals on their way to the final (4 out of 12), scoring in the fifth round, the quarterfinal and the semifinal.
Match Details
- Match: Chelsea vs. Leicester City
- Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
- Date & Time: May 15, 2021, at 9:45 PM IST
Team News
Chelsea
- Injured: None
- Doubtful: Christian Pulisic
- Unavailable: None
Leicester City
- Injured: Harvey Barnes, James Justin, Wes Morgan, Cengiz Under
- Doubtful: None
- Suspended: None
Predicted Starting XI
Chelsea (3-4-2-1)
Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK); Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva, Cesar Azpilicueta; Ben Chilwell, Reece James, N'Golo Kante, Jorginho; Mason Mount, Hakim Ziyech; Timo Werner
Leicester City (3-4-1-2)
Kasper Schmeichel (WK), Wesley Fofana, Jonny Evans, Caglar Soyuncu; Wilfred Ndidi, Timothy Castagne, Youri Tielemans, Ricardo Pereira; James Maddison; Kelechi Iheanacho, Jamie Vardy
- Chelsea form guide: L-W-W-W-D
- Leicester City form guide: W-L-D-W-W
Match Prediction
Chelsea could not find a way past Arsenal's 3-man defense on Wednesday night, and with Leicester set to play a similar formation at Wembley, it will not be easy for the Blues. Overall, Chelsea have been brilliant under Tuchel and could win the first piece of silverware under their new German manager here.
Leicester and Brendan Rodgers command plenty of respect with the way they have played this season. They have been strong in the league and bid to win the FA Cup for the first time. However, given the occasion and the quality of the opposition, the Foxes could fall short and Chelsea may get their hands on the trophy.
Howzat Dream Team
- Goalkeeper: K Schmeichel
- Defenders: A Rudiger, C Azpilicueta, W Fofana, C Soyuncu
- Midfielders: N Kante, M Mount, H Ziyech, Y Tielemans
- Forwards: T Werner, K Iheanacho
- Captain: T Werner/M Mount
- Vice Captain: K Iheanacho/K Schmeichel
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can select your own fantasy 11 by using your knowledge and fantasy premier league tips. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual starting 11 is announced by each team (60 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the fantasy 11.
Select your own team and play fantasy football on your favorite fantasy football app, Howzat!
