There isn’t much separation between Chelsea and Leicester City these days. After 31 rounds in the Premier League, there is only one point difference between the two teams in third and fourth place. The two head-to-head games both ended in a draw, 1-1 at Stamford Bridge at the start of the season, 2-2 at King Power, not long before the three-month interruption of an ongoing pandemic. Leicester doubles Chelsea in goal difference, which breaks my story, but also the latest forms of the two teams that favor Chelsea.
In any case, a winner must be determined this Sunday – extra time and penalties if necessary – because the two will meet in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Neither will want to stall now, almost within reach of a trophy.
Appointment time: Sunday, June 28, 2020, 4:00 p.m. CET; 11 a.m. EDT; 20:30 IS
Venue: King Power Stadium, Leicester, England
Referee: Mike Dean (on the pitch); Martin Atkinson (VAR)
Forecast: Sunny but airy, more spring than summer
On TV: BT Sport 1 (UK); none (UNITED STATES); Sony TEN 2 (India); SuperSport 3 (NGA); elsewhere
Streaming: BT Sport Live (Great Britain); ESPN + (USA); Sony LIV (India); DStv Now (NGA) – We (WAGNH) have one Affiliate link for ESPN + If you’re in the U.S. and want to sign up for the best value in sports streaming (or if you’re like me, sign up for the Disney Hulu ESPN + package).
Team news from Leicester City: Leicester needed a Kasper Schmeichel penalty to score a draw against Brighton on Tuesday, but with just two points from the previous two games at Project Restart, they were immediately pulled back into the top four dogfights. But the FA Cup is only a one-off knockout game, and the previous form often goes straight out the window.
Former Chelsea reserve coach Brendan Rodgers has changed his squad to keep his midfield fresh, but his only goal since the restart is a left-wing miracle and Chelsea transfer target Ben Chilwell.
To get this far, Leicester beat the championship teams Wigan Athletic, Brentford and Birmingham City, not too hard, but all without conceding a goal (4-0). The victims of long-term injuries Daniel Amartey (ankle) and Ricardo Pereira (knee) remain outside, otherwise everyone is available.
View from the enemy: Fosse Posse
Chelsea Team News: The injuries are similarly vulnerable to Chelsea, as only Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi (probably) have minor problems, as they have been since the restart.
Chelsea have won four times in a row in all competitions and go back to before the break, including victories against Manchester City and champions Liverpool, whom we defeated 2-0 in the preliminary round of this competition. Chelsea also defeated Hull City and Nottingham Forest in previous rounds, both from the championship.
Before: This game is a repeat of the FA Cup quarter-finals that Contes Chelsea won in extra time thanks to a header (!) From Pedro. We would of course win the cup this season! Could history repeat itself?
