Chelsea-Leeds is an FA Cup fifth-round match and is played Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.: stats, likely lineups, predictions, live TV and streaming.
Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea have just missed one of their few chances to straighten out a season that started badly and is in danger of ending worse. The Blues, only 11th in the Premier League, last Sunday surrendered to Liverpool (0-1) in the final of the League Cup, the English League Cup.
Unlike two years ago this time it didn’t even come down to penalty kicks: the decider, in minute 118 – practically in the last useful action before penalties – was the Reds captain van Dijk with a header, giving the club coached by Jurgen Klopp (for a few more months yet) its tenth triumph in the competition. Chelsea’s goal now becomes to make as much progress as possible in the other domestic cup, the FA Cup, now in the fifth round (round of 16). And maybe win it, to gain access to a European cup next year. The Londoners’ opponent is Leeds, a team currently playing in the Champioship, the lower division across the Channel: the Whites are trying to immediately regain the top flight they lost last year, and so far they seem to be on track to do so. Led by German Daniel Farke, they are currently second in the standings, tied on points with Ipswich Town and -6 behind leading Leicester (beaten 3-1 in last Friday’s early match at Elland Road). Leeds comes to London in top form: in 2024 they are still unbeaten and in the league they have won uninterruptedly since New Year’s Day.
Pochettino hopes to recover in extremis Thiago Silva, who was absent at Wembley on Sunday. However, former Leipzig striker Nkunku, who came on from the bench with Liverpool, has stopped again with an injury. In attack, in support of the only forward Sterling, the Argentine coach will deploy Madueke, Palmer and Mudryk.
The prediction
In its long unbeaten streak (12 games without defeat) Leeds has conceded only 4 goals, showing that it can also rely on a solid defense ahead of the final rush. For Chelsea, in short, it won’t be a walk in the park: the FA Cup, however, is too important for the Blues, who should still get the better of the Whites in the end in a match with at least one goal on each side.
Chelsea-Leeds likely lineups
CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Malo Gusto, Gilchrist, Chalobah, Colwill; Gallagher, Enzo Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Mudryk; Sterling.
LEEDS (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Roberts, Ampadu, Cooper, Firpo; Gruev, Kamara; Gnonto, Gray, Anthony; Piroe.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
