The Premier League and Championship collide in the FA Cup Quarter Finals as Chelsea take on Leicester City at Stamford Bridge. An early kick-off that will be season defining for the Blues pits Mauricio Pochettino’s ‘blue pillion pound bottle jobs’ up against Enzo Maresca’s formidable Foxes.
You only have to look back as recently as 2021 for a Chelsea calamity in this fixture. Even the wettest of rainy days at Wembley couldn’t dampen the spirits of the Leicester fans, as they returned out of the COVID lockdown in restricted numbers to pull off an upset, surprising everyone in London as they won 1-0 courtesy of a Youri Tielemans wonder goal.
While Chelsea would go on to win the Champions League under Thomas Tuchel, the Blues were blissfully unaware it would be one of the last acts of Roman Abramovic, who sold the club a year later, reducing his beloved side to rubble amid a transfer blitz that sees them in 11th in the Premier League and now 6/1 to lift the FA Cup.
Turbulent times at the Bridge
Since losing the Carabao Cup final to Liverpool, this dysfunctional season for Chelsea, one defined by lengthy contracts and astronomical transfer fees, has yet to get off the ground.
Dreams of a first Wembley win under the ownership of Todd Boehly were thwarted by a poor extra-time performance that allowed Virgil van Dijk to grab a late winner and Chelsea fans to leave for west London disappointed at another final defeat.
All hope now turns to the FA Cup, England’s oldest competition, if the Blues are to pick up their inaugural piece of silverware since the American replaced Abramovic.
Despite their expensive squad, the Blues will have their work cut out for them as they face a Leicester City side looking to defy the odds once again and become the first team since West Ham in 1980 to win the trophy from the second tier.
Maresca’s Missteps
Over in the East Midlands, it has certainly been a strange few years. Leicester went from defying the odds as Premier League champions, and then a side knocking on the door of consistent Champions League football under Brendan Rodgers, to a sudden relegation within the space of two seasons.
A rollercoaster of emotion that looks to be back on the rise, with Indian online betting sites suggesting the Foxes are favourites to head straight back up.
Relegation presented a chance to revitalise the squad, whilst maintaining experienced factions of both the title winners and top division stalwarts has fans excited about a potential run to Wembley, having put up a spirited performance to eventual winners Liverpool, just falling short at Anfield.
A sudden dip in form did highlight the inexperience of Maresca when it comes to crunch time in the league, with a 2-1 loss to bottom-half Queens Park Rangers not ideal preparation for a game that carries so much weight.
The Foxes supercharged their squad and have strength in depth to deal with injuries, so a slight nosedive in results, rectified with an away win over Sunderland, shouldn’t prevent their return to the Premier League, but it will certainly be interesting to see how they cope when heading to Stamford Bridge.
Injury updates
In terms of availability, both sides will have some notable absentees, with Christopher Nkunku, Romeo Lavia, left-back, Ben Chilwell, and right-back Reece James amongst those sidelined for Chelsea, and Ricardo Pereira expected to be out until after the international break for Leicester with a muscle injury.
A Fox in the box?
If Leicester were to pull off an upset, Jamie Vardy would be pivotal to that success. Ageing like a fine wine, the 37-year-old has an immense track record against the conventional Premier League top six, averaging a goal or assist every 113 minutes, and his pace is yet to let him down after contributing 13 goals in 27 games ahead of the trip to the capital.
Feeding him is midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who many expected to depart the King Power Stadium upon the Foxes relegation. However, the former Luton Town man has 22 goals and assists this season and has been one of the best players in the Championship. No doubt he will have a hand in Leicester’s victory should they make the final four.
Tensions growing
Pochettino’s job is massively on the line as he prepares for the visit of the Foxes. Although so much will ride on his team winning trophies, especially given the ruthlessness Bohley has instilled, he is aware of the immense pressure that entails, and spoke about the challenges this season has presented.
“It is difficult because of the expectations,” Pochettino said. “The team needs to find the right balance during the season and you need time and they can perform. It is normal that you need time, but in the past four weeks we are doing fantastic.
“The expectation is massive because we are Chelsea but this team needs to build and build the confidence. The unity is starting to grow, it’s not magic, you can’t just create it.”
Since being brandished as botte jobs, a title Pochettino carried throughout his tenure in charge of Tottenham Hotspur, the pressure is mounting at Stamford Bridge. It’s over to the Argentine to try and settle the score with Leicester after their victory in 2021, as well as shake the reputation as a team that just can’t seem to get over the line when the two collide on March 17.
