Chelsea vs Leicester City
The Blues are eager to return to Wembley Stadium after missing out on a trophy on their previous trip. Chelsea lost to Liverpool in the EFL Cup final last month, so now the FA Cup is their only chance of possibly winning a trophy this season.
But first things first, they must take care of business, where they’re into the quarter-finals. And on Sunday, Mauricio Pochettino’s men are scheduled to face Leicester City, who are currently the best team in the Championship.
Both teams were undefeated in their respective leagues last time out, as Chelsea won against Newcastle United 3-2, while Leicester City shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw with Hull City.
The pre-game SBOTOP betting odds are pessimistic for the Foxes this weekend, but can Enzo Maresca’s men defy them?
Talking points
Palmer continues to shine for Chelsea
Cole Palmer has been a revelation for Chelsea this season, and that might sound like an understatement to Blues fans.
When he arrived at Stamford Bridge as a Manchester City outcast, many were skeptical because Chelsea paid £40 million to get him. And fast forward to today; the Blues couldn’t do anything without the 21-year-old.
Palmer, with 13 goals and 11 assists across all competitions this year, is easily the team’s most influential player. Against Newcastle United last time out, he showed just that, as he had two goal involvements to beat the Magpies.
After assisting on Nico Jackson’s goal in the 6th minute, Cole Palmer scored one for himself near the hour mark by taking a touch to get the ball out of his foot before smashing the ball past Newcastle United goalie Martin Dubravka.
Cole Palmer has been really impressive; therefore, it was not surprising that the England national team called him up for the impending international break. However, his recall came at the expense of his teammate, Raheem Sterling.
Other than Cole Palmer, Leicester City will also have their hands full in trying to keep Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk at bay.
Leicester City need a Vardy party
On the other side of the pitch, there is Jamie Vardy, who is still going strong for the Foxes despite turning 37 years old in January.
Vardy currently leads Leicester City in scoring with 15 goals. He may no longer be as fast as he was, but he is still a big-game performer capable of producing FA Cup 2024 highlights.
The one-time Premier League champion has scored three goals in his last two appearances, including a brace against Hull City. If he hadn’t scored twice in that game, they might’ve been overtaken by Leeds United at the top of the Championship table.
Other than Vardy, Chelsea will also be concerned with dealing with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Stephy Mavididi, and Patson Daka, as the three of them have combined for 27 goals and 20 assists so far this year.
History
The last time that Chelsea and Leicester City met was in their last Premier League matchup last season on March 2023.
In the said game at the King Power Stadium, the Blues were 3-1 winners, as Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz, and Mateo Kovacic found the back of the net, while Patson Daka scored the lone goal for the Foxes. To make matters worse for the hosts at the time, centre-back Wout Faes was sent off late in the match.
In the FA Cup, Chelsea have advanced from seven of their eight ties against Leicester City, with the only loss being a 1-0 result in the 2021 final. Since losing to Everton in 2015-16, Chelsea have won their last five FA Cup quarter-final ties.
On the other hand, Leicester City have dropped five of their last six FA Cup quarter-final ties, and they have only won just one of their last 13 visits at Stamford Bridge across all competitions (D4, L8).
Betting Tip
The FA Cup 2024 odds have the hosts as the big favourites to win, as Chelsea are installed at 1.40, while Leicester City are 6.20 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.46 in the 1X2 market.
Chelsea are in the English top-flight and Leicester City are not for a reason, so any other result besides a victory is going to be considered a disaster for the hosts at Stamford Bridge.
Because defense seems optional in this fixture, other than our recommended bet above, you may also go for Total Goal 2-3 at 2.07, Total Goal 4-6 at 2.66, or even Over 3.25 at 2.17 as your alternative bets.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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