Ace Football previews the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Leicester City and offers betting tips, odds, line-ups, and team news.
The 140th FA Cup final begins on Saturday evening as Chelsea and Leicester City meet at Wembley.
Chelsea hope to win cup football’s oldest competition for the ninth time. Doing so would move them clear in third place on the all-time list of FA Cup winners behind Manchester United (12) and Arsenal (14). Leicester, meanwhile, head to their first final in 52 years intent on winning the famous old trophy for the first time.
It should be an intriguing affair in the capital as two of the Premier League’s top clubs square off. Only two points lie between them in the league standings, and they’ve been closely matched in the past.
Chelsea Form & Stats
May could be one of the most significant moments in Chelsea’s entire 116-year existence. Aside from another top-four Premier League finish, the Blues could end the month by winning the FA Cup and the Champions League.
A key factor behind their success has been Thomas Tuchel. The German has overseen a huge turnaround in results since becoming the club’s manager in January. He’s lost just three of his 26 matches (W17 D6), brought in defensive solidity, and has elevated the team’s performances.
Tuchel now lies on the brink of his first trophy with Chelsea and in English football itself. Boosting his chances are returns of midfield duo N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic from injury. And having rested several stars in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal midweek, he should have a strong line-up against Leicester.
Key Team Stats
- Won 3 of their last 4 games in all competitions (L1).
- Lost 2 of their last 3 FA Cup final appearances (W1).
- 7 of their 8 FA Cup final triumphs were by a 1-goal margin.
- Under 2.5 goals in their last 3 FA Cup games.
- Under 2.5 goals in 7 of their last 8 games against Leicester in all competitions.
- Kept 5 clean sheets in their last 8 games in all competitions.
Leicester City Form & Stats
While obviously not as successful as Tuchel, one could argue Brendan Rodgers’ impact at Leicester City has been as impressive as his Chelsea counterpart.
The Foxes were down in 11th-place in the Premier League when Rodgers took charge on February 27, 2019. Yet 808 days later, they sit up in third in the league and on the brink of a return to the Champions League. And if things go to plan on Saturday, a first FA Cup title could follow.
A solid 2-1 win away to Manchester United midweek, meanwhile, was the perfect warm-up. The only real concern is the availability of influential defender Jonny Evans, who has been out of action since damaging his heel last week.
Key Team Stats
- Unbeaten in their last 6 Premier League games against Chelsea (W2 D4).
- Failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 4 games in all competitions.
- Won only 4 of their 15 games at Wembley (D1 L10).
- Brendan Rodgers has won all six of his finals as a manager (Championship play-off in 2010/11, 3x Scottish League Cups, 2x Scottish Cups).
- Brendan Rodgers has won only 1 of his 16 games against Chelsea in all competitions (D8 L7).
Team News
Chelsea
Out: N/A.
Doubts: Andreas Christensen, Christian Pulisic.
Leicester City
Out: Harvey Barnes, Cengiz Under, James Justin, Wes Morgan.
Doubts: Jonny Evans.
Predicted Line-ups
(Note: The image will change to the official XI once they’re both announced)
Head-To-Head Record (Premier League)
Below are some head-to-head stats on each team’s recent form in the FA Cup.
Betting Tips
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