Chelsea v Leeds – Preview, Predictions and Best Bets

Chelsea face Leeds in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday. The Blues are having a poor season and lost the Carabao Cup final on Sunday. Leeds are on a nine-match winning streak in the EFL Championship and are pushing for promotion to the top flight.

Chelsea Form

Chelsea were on a run of just one loss in seven matches. Things went a bit pear-shaped after, losing 4-1 at Liverpool in a poor outing and then 4-2 at home to Wolves. A fine 3-1 replay win at Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round saw the Blues leading 3-0 before a late goal.

The Blues continued their mini revival by scoring two late goals to win 3-1 at Crystal Palace. A 1-1 draw at Man City came after 65 impressive minutes before running out of steam and holding on for dear life to a draw. On Sunday, a late goal conceded saw Chelsea lose 1-0 to Liverpool in the League Cup final. Their opponents ended the match with several teenagers on the pitch.

Chelsea Team News

The Blues remain without Reece James and Benoit Badiashile at the back. Romeo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Carney Chukwuemeka are all injured in midfield. Thiago Silva and Trevoh Chalobah may get starts in defence.

Cesare Casadei is available again and could feature in the engine room. Christopher Nkunku is an injury doubt with a knock, but Noni Madueke could get a rare opportunity in the starting XI.

Chelsea Motivation

This trophy is the Blues’ last chance to save their season. They will go all out to win this match.

Leeds are a rival of Chelsea’s and that should increase motivation for the English players. Pochettino will want to win in 90 minutes and rebuild some confidence.

Leeds Form

After successive league defeats to end 2023, Leeds have gone on an incredible nine-match winning run in the Championship. Including FA Cup matches, they’re 13 fixtures with losing with 12 wins and 30 goals scored.

They won 4-1 at Plymouth in a replay in the last round of the FA Cup. A 3-0 home win over Rotherham and a 4-0 victory at Swansea City were forthcoming after that. After winning 2-0 at Plymouth, they hosted Leicester in a top-of-the-table clash. Daniel Farke’s side were 1-0 down after 79 minutes but roared back to win 3-1.

Leeds Team News

The Whites have a lot of injury concerns for this match. Stuart Dallas, Pascal Struijk, and Wilfred Ndidi are all ruled out, but Patrick Bamford is back from an injury. Sam Byram misses out at fullback and backup goalkeeper Karl Darlow is still a week or two away from returning.

Georginio Rutter, Crysencio Summerville, and Dan James are all slight doubts and may be protected for the league campaign. Ethan Ampadu could play in defence over Liam Cooper with Glen Kamara may be due a rest in midfield.

Leeds Motivation

Considering their league position and a real chance of gaining promotion back to the Premier League, Leeds may not be fully focused on the FA Cup.

Daniel Farke may rest some players and he will not risk guys with knocks ahead of a trip to Huddersfield on Saturday.

Key Stats

Chelsea have lost 1 of their last 9 home matches

Chelsea have conceded in each of their last 6 matches (12 goals leaked)

Chelsea have won their last 6 matches vs Leeds at Stamford Bridge

Leeds have won their last 9 league matches

Leeds are unbeaten in 12 matches in all competitions (30 goals scored)

Verdict

The Blues need a response, but Leeds are a strong side with high confidence. Chelsea should progress to the next round, especially if the visitors decide to rotate their starting XI.

Best Bet: Chelsea win a 1.51
Value Bet: Chelsea win (-1 handicap) at 2.30
Goalscorer Tip: Nicolas Jackson to score anytime at 2.40

James O'Connor

James is a football analyst who writes about the tactics of the PSL and English Premier League. He holds the UEFA A coaching licence and has previously worked for several clubs in analysis roles.Twitter: https://twitter.com/footy_analysis